9. ZOHILLA. 139 



triangular, before the others, hinder part narrow ; front cla-ws elon- 

 gate, brown. Palse grinders §; upper tubercular grinder square, 

 moderate-sized (Lichtenstein, Abh. Aiad. Berl. 1836, 1. 1. f. 2, skuU). 



Mephitis, § 2, Gray, Mag. JV. H. i. 1887. 

 Spilogale, Gray, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 150. 



Spilogale interrupta. (Little Striped Skunk.) B.M. 



Black ; a spot on forehead, a spot on each temple, four streaks on 



back of neck and withers, a streak on side of body, that is bent up 



to the middle of the back behind, an interrupted band across rump, 



a spot on each buttock, and the base and tip of tail white. 



Mephitis interrupta, Raflnesque, An. of Nat. iii. No. 4, 1818; lAeht. 



Abh. Akad. Berl. 1836, p. 281, t. 2. f. 1 (tail not good). 

 Mephitis bicolor, Gray, Ann. N. H. i. p. 683, 1837 {B. M.) ; Baird, 



Mamm. N. A. p. 197, t. 19 (Mexico). 



Var. Tail-end black. 



Mephitis zorilla, IdcU. Abh. Akad. Berl. 1836, p. 281, t. 2. f. 2 (not 



I)arstell.'). 

 Le ZoriUe, Buffon, H. iV. xiii. p. 302, t. 41. 



Hab. North America, California (Bouglas). 



Prof. Lichtenstein has described two species — one with an oval 

 nose- spot and white taU, the other with a small triangular frontal 

 spot and black tail. I have only seen three specimens : one had a 

 black, the other a white, and the last a black-and-white tail. They 

 each had a different-sized and -shaped nose-spot. 



Prof. Lichtenstein has determined that the ZoriUe of Buffon 

 is the American animal. It had been previously regarded as the 

 Meer-Cat of South Africa. It is figured by Buffon as from America ; 

 but his figure does not accurately represent either species. 



B. Suhdigitigrade. Hind feet rathernarrow ; soles hairy, toith a narrow, 

 elongate, triangular bald space behind the palm-pads ; toes unequal ; 

 claws elongate, slender; tubercular grinders band-like, transverse. — 

 Gray, /. c. p. 150. 



Tribe IV. ZORILLINA. 



Flesh-tooth elongate, with a small anterior inner lobe with a 

 single tubercle. 



Zorillina, Gray, P. Z. & 1865, p. 150. 



9. ZOBILLA. 



Head conical. Nose acute, hairy, with a central groove below. 

 Muzzle small, bald, notched in front ; nostrils lateral. Ears rounded, 

 covered with hair. Fore feet strong ; toes unequal, three middle 

 longest ; claws elongate, compressed, acute. Hind foot digitigrade; 

 sole flat and bald in front, with four unequal, large, convex pads, the 

 hinder part compressed and covered with hair ; toes unequal, the two 



