220 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Elliot as the large Indian mongoose {Mungos mungo) ; but its skull 

 and external measurements are identical with those of M. birmanicus, 

 although the coloration is a somewhat lighter gray. I have little 

 hesitation in considering it an unusually pallid specimen of the latter 

 species. 



The only Porto Rican specimen I have seen is one taken in 1899 

 by A. B. Baker, and now in the collection of the U. S. National Mu- 

 seum. This specimen had rightly been identified as M. birmanicus. 

 According to Palmer (1899, p. 95) the mongoose was introduced at 

 San Juan, Porto Rico, about 1877-79, and is now generally dis- 

 tributed in that island. It is said to have acted very effectively in 

 reducing the number of rats there. Palmer further states that the 

 mongoose is present in the small island of Vieques, just east of Porto 

 Rico, and is abundant on St. Thomas. "Numbers" had also been 

 sent to Cuba and St. Croix. Apparently they have not yet spread 

 throughout Cuba, but are now common in certain parts of the western 

 end of the island. Mr. Walter R. Zappey tells me that when he visited 

 Cuba in 1906 the mongoose was so common about the Toledo planta- 

 tion, near Havana, that it was nearly impossible to raise poultry. 



It has been suggested that more than one species may have been 

 introduced into the West Indies, but all that I have seen are the 

 Burmese mongoose. It is common now in at least four of the southern 

 Lesser Antilles, and in the seven islands above named, in the northern 

 part of the West Indian group. 



PROCYONIDAE. 

 Procyon maynardi Bangs. 



Procyon maynardi Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 1898, 12, 

 p. 92. 



This raccoon, so far as known, is confined to the island of New 

 Providence, Bahamas. In his list of mammals of the Bahamas, 

 Mr. G. S. Miller Jr. (1905) has given excellent illustrations of the skull 

 of this small species. According to its describer, no tradition of its 

 having been introduced from elsewhere was discovered; but Miller 

 notes that J. H. Riley, who collected at New Providence in 1903, heard 

 unsatisfactory reports of its having long ago been brought thither. 



