23 



toriua vison ; the Badger, Taxidea americana; the Common Skunk, Mephitis 

 mephitica; and the Otter, Lutra canadensis — may properly be considered 

 as belonging to the mammalian fauna of Ohio. It is quite possible the 

 Little Striped Skunk, Mephitis putorius, of the southern and south-western 

 States, should be acjded to this list of Ohio Mustelidse. The same may 

 be said of the least Weasel, P. vulgaris, of the northern United States, 

 and North, although the lack of citations from the middle States is nega- 

 tive evidence of the distribution at present accepted. 



SUB-FAMILIES AND GENERA OF OHIO MUSTELID-E. 



* Skull with the cerebral portion comparatively compressed backwards; and with the 

 rostral portion comparatively produced, attenuated, and transversely convex above; 

 anteorbital foramen small and opening forwards; feet with little or no inter- 

 digital membrane (and the species, with few exceptions, not aquatic). 

 + Auditory bulla much inflated, undivided, bulging, and convex forwards ; periotio re- 

 gion extending little outwards or backwards; palate moderately emarginated. 

 J: Last molar of the upper jaw (m. i) short, small, transverse (with the inner edge in- 

 flated at its inner angle); sectorial teeth with a single inner cusp; m. i; first true 

 molar (sectorial) of upper jaw, followed" by a second (tubercular) one; toes short, 

 regularly arched, witli last phalanges bent up, withdrawing the claws into sheaths. 

 (Sub-family Muatelinw.) 



a. Teeth 38 ; pm. jlj ; body slender ; feet and progression digitigrade ; sole 

 densely furry with naked pads; lower first molar with an internal tubercle ; 



pelage long and soft Mustkla. 



aa. Teeth 34 ; pm. flf ; body slender ; feet digitigrade ; sectorial tooth without 



internal tubercle ; pelage close and short Putorius. 



tt Last molar of upper jaw (m. i-) enlarged and more or less extended longitudinally ; 

 m. I ; toes straight with the last phalanges and claws extended ; claws non-retractile 

 (Sub-family MeUiice). Body short and stout ; tail very short ; teeth 32. Taxidea. 

 tt Auditory bulla little infliited, transversely constricted behind the meatus auditorius 

 extern us, and thence inwards ; in front flattened forwards ; periotio region expanded 

 outwards and backwards; palate deeply emarginated (Sub-family MephUinw). 

 Snout pointed ; nostrils lateral ; tail long and bushy ; foetid perineal glands highly 

 developed ; colors black and white, massed in large areas ; teeth 32 ; pm. 2-3- 



Mephitis. 

 ** SkuU with the cerebral portion swollen outwards and backwards; and with the ros- 

 tral portion abbreviated, high and truncated forwards, and widened and depressed 

 above ; anteorbital foramen enlarged and produced downwards and backwards ; feet 

 with well developed interdigital membrane, and adapted for swimming. (The spe- 

 cies highly aquatic, one — the Sea Otter — marine.) 

 Teeth, normal, 36 (m. |; pm. -J; C. y; i, |-X2) ; sectorial tooth (pm. *) normal, ef- 

 ficient, with an expanded inner ledge ; the other molars snb-musteline ; posterior feet 

 with normally long digits. (Sub-family Lutrinm.) True molars large, quadrate; 

 body stout, elongate, cylindrical ; feet full- webbed ; muzzle obtuse ; ears small. 



LUTKA, 



