skulls ; in 3'ouug ones, it is a tablet of bone, the sides of which separate 

 almost at once from the occipital protuberance. There is little, if any, 

 postorbital constriction of the skulls ; the least width there being little, 

 if any, less than the interorbital width. The lateral diveroence of the 

 zygomata is much as in the last species. Behind, the skull is notably 

 widened aud flatteued, almost as iu Tajcidea the intermastoid diameter 

 being relatively much greater than it is in either Conepatusov MepliiUs ; 

 in fact, it is not very much less than the interzygomatic width, in some 

 cases, at least. The occipital crest isstrongly developed, auditsoutlineis 

 characteristic in the great couvexity of coutour on each side and deep 

 median emargination ; in other genera the median emargination is always 

 slight, sometimes nil; and the lateral outline from the mastoid to the 

 p)oiut where the supraoccipital bones leave the general occipital crest 

 is about straight — if anything, concave. 



A notable peculiarity ai)pears in the profile-view of the skull. The 

 dorsal outline in Me2)Mtis mepliitica is strongly convex, with a high 

 I)oint about the middle, and this is carried to an extreme in M. frontata ; 

 in the i)resent case, the same outline is nearly straight from the ends of 

 the nasals to near the occipital protuberance; in fact, the skull is as flat 

 on top as an Otter's, and flatter than a Badger's. The zygomata are 

 strongly arched upward, with a regular curve throughout, instead of 

 being highest behind ; the i)romineuce of the bulla ossea on the floor of 

 the skull is sufficient to bring this part fairly into view from the side, as is 

 scarcely the case in M. mepMtka ; this feature is also due, in part, to 

 an abbreviation of the mastoid process, which is hardly at all produced 

 downward. 



On the floor of the skull, the principal feature is the width behind, 

 which, being simply co-ordinate with the general lateral dilatation already 

 noticed, requires no further comment. The paroccipitalsare very small — 

 in fact, mere nibs of bone, hardlj' able to bear the term " process." There 

 is also a point in connection with the bulhTe auditoriiie. These are not 

 only more bullous at the usual point of greatest inflation, but behind 

 this, the part that reaches between the lateral elements of the occipital 

 bone and the lateral portion of the lambdoidal crest has also a general 

 smooth convexity instead of an irregular concavity. The bony palate 

 ends in the same relative position as in M. mepJiiticaj and shows the same 

 variation in the character of the edge of this shelf. 



The mandible, though, of course, proportionally smaller than in M. 

 mepJiitica, is identical in shape, contrasting equally well with the pecu- 

 liarities of Conepatiis, elsewhere mentioned. 



The smaller size aside, there is scarcely anything in the dentition of 

 this species calling for comment in comparison with Mephitis. The 

 anterior premolar is well developed, and, as far as lean see, the dentition 

 is, in other respects, nearly identical with that oiMepliitis; the upper 

 sectorial tooth, (posterior premolar,) however, has the cusp of its inner 

 moiety rather a x)ointed i)rocess of the border itself than a conical cusp, 

 surmounting this inner part. 



It should be noted that in one specimen, as an abnormality, the ante- 

 rior upper premolar has aborted entirely on the right side, though pres- 

 ent on the left; while the lower jaw of the same specimen shows an 

 abortive posterior premolar on the left side. But, in general, in MepM- 

 tinw, abortion or other irregularities of dentition are less frequent than 

 in the Mustelituc, where the smaller teeth are more crowded. 



