348 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Distribution in New York. While the otter has doubtless greatly de- 

 creased in numbers during the present century it probably still occurs 

 throughout the greater part of New York. Details of its present distri- 

 bution are however wholly lacking. 



Principal records. De Kay: "The American otter, once so numerous 

 in every part of the state, is now exceedingly scarce. In the counties of 

 Kings, Queens, Suffolk and Richmond it is now extirpated. In the 

 northern districts it is yet sufficiently numerous to become an object of 

 pursuit " (' 42, p. 40). Merriam : " The otter is a common inhabitant of 

 the Adirondacks" (' 82, p. 87). Fisher: " Probably it still rarely occurs 

 at Croton lake and river. The last specimen we have any record of was 

 taken in the tide creeks in Croton point about j88o" ('96, p. 199). f 

 Mearns : " Otters are still found in the Hudson and in the streams and 

 lakes of the Highlands though the species has now become extremely 

 scarce. 20 years ago it was more numerous" (' 98a, p. 347). "Otters 

 were said by one or two of the Catskill residents to have been taken 

 occasionally along Schoharie creek and at Kaaterskill lake during the 

 past 25 years" ('98b, p. 360). 



Mr Helme writes that the otter is nearly if not quite extinct on Long 

 Island. 



Remarks. It is possible that the otter of the Hudson highlands and 

 Long Island is the southeastern otter Lutra hudsonica lataxina (F. Cuvier) 

 recently distinguished from the northern form by Rhoads (' 98c, 

 p. 420). 



Mephitis mephitica (Shaw) Skunk 



1792 Viverra mephitica Shaw, Museum Leverianum. p. 172. 



1842 Mephitis americana De Kay, Zoology of New York, Mammalia. 



p. 29. 

 1858 Mephitis ?nephitica Baird, Mamm. N. Am. p. 195. 

 1882 Mephitis mephitica Merriam, Linn. soc. New York. Trans. 1 : 69. 

 1896 Mephitis mephitica Fisher, The Observer. May 1896. 7 : 199. 

 1898 Mephitis mephitica Mearns, U. S. Nat. mus. Proc. 21 : 358. 

 1898 Mephitis mephitica Mearns, Am. mus. nat. hist. Bui. 9 Sep. 1898. 



10:350. 



Type locality. North America. 



Fauna! position. Until the exact status of the skunks found in New 

 York is better understood it will be impossible accurately to state their 

 faunal position. 



Habitat. Woods, fields and in fact anywhere, provided the ground is 

 dry enough for burrowing. 



