C8 : €HiPII<~GN NOVA SGOTIAN MA^ni.VLS. 



variety- which Baird makes typical for tho northern skimTc*- 

 Black, with white line down the forehead, yellowish white 

 rhomboid spot on the back of neck, from whi<-h issue from either 

 posterior corner two parallel white lines, soon diverging and 

 losinsr themselves on the Hanks, and a white tip to the tail. 

 I have never examined one in the flesh. From v.ell mounted 

 specimens we recall a handsome lively little animal standing 

 high on pretty feet, a small and arched head, cars small, a high 

 back, and a very fine brush carried over his back. He is bold 

 as well as handsome, and goes out of his path for no one. Once 

 or twice I have met him in the open, by evening twilight, or at 

 noon, trotting through the dark forest. He much resembled a 

 poodle dog, his long curved nails ]-attling as he ran. The 

 stories of the ofiensive fluid v/hich he ejects from glands on either 

 side of the rectum are not exaggerated. Though it appears to 

 nie that an open cultivated country is much more favourable to 

 its diflusion than a wooded uncultivated one. 1 have ofleiisively 

 perceived the odour for nine miles. The main lar.d being that dis- 

 tance from the island where I w^as, and on which none were living. 

 I have never icnown our forests taip.ted to so great an extent. 

 One can scarcely believe the greenness of the gentleman who 

 on his wedding tour espied one of these innocents in tho road, 

 easily captured it, as they will allow you, and presented it to 

 his bride sitting beside him in his carriage. Cupid loved the 

 soft muff and caress ; but a sudden jolt of the carriage alarmed 

 him, and any one Avho knows them, will never ask what hap- 

 pened then. Equally incredible are the stories of the Indians 

 who love- the odour, willingly eating the tainted meat ; yet I 

 have heard both vouched for. The specific " Mephitica" was 

 first given by Shaw, but using the genus Vivera. Cuvier, 

 separated it into the genus Mephitis, and Baird, following the 

 strict law of priority, still retains this specific. May I be 

 allowed to say this strict law of priority, allowing, as it does, 

 no Avriter a choice or alteration of name, is the only compass 

 that will steer us out of that vast ocean of synonyms which 

 threatens to engulf the science ? 



Procyon Lotor, (Richardson, Baird). , ,. 



^ ' ^ ^ ^ •^•^'?coon. 



Ursus Lotor (Linn, Erxlebcn), 



i Raecc 



