MELES. ]99 



The two examples of M. leucolcemus in the Paris Museum, which I have 

 examined, somewhat diiier from each other. Tlie specimen figured hy A. M.-Edwards 

 is not so dark as the otlier, wliich is larger and has the dark-brown band through the 

 eye very much less defined, and the white of the cheek more intense, and covering 

 a much larger area than in the type. In both, a dark-brown band or line extends 

 from the angle of the mouth upwards in the direction of the ear. In the type this 

 band is more expanded than in the other, and joins the dark area between the eye 

 and ear, whereas in the latter it does not join the dark aural area, and the white of 

 the cheek is thus in this specimen prolonged directly backwards to the white on the 

 side of the neck, whereas in the type the white below the eye is closed in posteriorly 

 by the band from the mouth to the ear. In the non-figured example, the white of 

 the naso-f rental region is prolonged beyond the eyes on to the vertex, where it spreads 

 itself, even between the eyes and ears, as the dark-brown band from the snout 

 backwards is interrupted between the eyes and ears, although the eyes are encircled 

 Avith dark-brown, whereas in the type this latter band is continuous from the 

 snout to the ears, and the white naso-frontal band contracts on the vertex, beyond 

 which it is backwardly prolonged as a narrow line. The figured specimen, which is 

 the smaller of the two, more closely resembles M. obscuriis than the adult, but the 

 dilferences between the three are so slight, that they appear to be examples of one 

 species, differing only in age. The type of M. isonyx closely corresponds with them. 

 The white, naso-frontal band extends backwards over the vertex and passes gradually 

 into the colour of the nape. The narrow, dai'k-brown band from the snout passes 

 backwards to the ears, surrounds the eye, and expands behind it and involves the ear, 

 which is white-tipped, as in 31. leucolcBmus and M. albogularis. A narrow, dark-brown 

 band passes from the angle of the mouth to the dark area below the ear, and a wlute 

 area is thus enclosed on the cheeks below the eyes. The throat is white, and this hue 

 passes upwards on to the side of the neck, as in M. leucolasmus, behind the brown 

 band from the angle of the mouth. The limbs, chests, and belly are black, of vari- 

 able intensity on the last two regions. The tail is white, and apparently shorter 

 than in M. leucurm, Hodgson. 



Allied to Meles taxus is the M. anakuma,^ Temm., from Japan, and which 

 Dr. Gray^ also regarded as identical with the M. taxus var. of Middendorff, and the 

 M. taxus var. amurensis, Schrenck, whilst at the same time he thought it probable 

 that the latter might turn out to be M. chinensis. 



A. M.-Edwards' has given a very just estimate of the relations in which the 

 badgers with short and with long palates stand to each other, and has pointed out 

 that there are no suiScient reasons for regarding the unimportant modifications of 

 structure which these long-palated forms exhibit as of generic importance, and he 

 would therefore rank them as of sub-generic value. 



' Fauna Japonica (1842), p. 30. pi. vi. fij^s. 1-6. 

 2 Cat. Carniv. Mamm. B. M. 1869, p. 125. 

 ^ L.c. 



