so 



bear them ; they are acute and adapted to digging, strong, comfpressed, 

 and little curved ; the pa/lmar padded area is indifferently separated into 

 -three 'or four smaller pads. 



The white marking exists in almost endless diversity of extent and 

 detail ; the most constant pattern is a sharp, narrow frontal stripe, and a 

 broad nuchal area, from which diverge obliquely a pair of stripes toward 

 or to the tail. The hairs of the tail are u-suallya^il white at the base ; 

 there is a white tuft at 'the base of coarseT and looser hairs than the gen- 

 eral cover of the tail. The same coarse white hairs are disposed in irreg- 

 ular bundles in various places along the tail, exceeding the softer dark 

 hairs in length.; they are sometimes seven or eight inches in length. 



Dr. Coues is of the opinion tha;t there is a tendency to increase of 

 ■white according, in a measure, to specifi d geographical areas. In the 

 south Atlantic and Gulf States, the white is at a minimum, the stripes 

 almost wanting, frontal stripe a mere trace, and the nuchal spot reduced 

 or broken. Throughout the west, and in British America, prolongation 

 of the stripes to the tail, or even to its end, is the rule, the -stripes grad- 

 ually separating from a vertebral stripe into which the nuchal stripe is 

 prolonged. Accompanying this color of the western forms, is a bushier ■ 

 tail, its width equal to or greater than its length. 



Various cases of this kind have been recognized as species under the 

 specific titles mesomelas, variana, macroura, etc. 



A decrease of size with latitude is observable. Florida specimens, full 

 grown, are notably smaller than New England dkunks, some not exceed- 

 ing thirteen or fourteen inches. 



Distribution: — The Skunk is found in entire temperate North America, 

 north to Hudson's -Bay and Great-Slave Lake, south into Mexico, where 

 its range ov&rlaps that of the White Backed Skunk, 'Cone/iatos mapurito. 

 It is usually common, and in some districts abundant. From the nature 

 of the animal, they are obviously less affected by the settlement of the 

 country than their inherently wary and secretive carnivorous allies, 

 which are often nearly exterminated as civilization advances. The 

 Skunk, however, is often more abundant in frontier regions than in the 

 unsettled parts of a country. Throughout British America, New Eng- 

 land, the middle States, and some of the southern States, M. mephitica is 

 the only species of the sub-family Mephitinm known to occur. In most 

 of the west and part of the south, it ranges with Spilogale putorim. The 

 extreme south-west may possess the three'species found iu the United 

 States. 



Eislory.— Under the name of "Polecat," "Chinga," ''Skunk," "Weasel" 

 (Pennant), and even " Enfan du diable " (Charlevoix), the Skunk ap- 



