MAMMALS OF MARYLANiD 



165 



Despite the great number being bred in captivity, wild-caught mink 

 are still in some demand for their fur, and each year many are trapped 

 throughout the country. Maryland does not rank high in wild mink 

 production. In 1966, only 303 mink were reported trapped in the State 

 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fur Catch in the United States, 1966, 

 Wildlife Leaflet 478). The high point in mink trapping in Maryland 

 over the past decade was reached during the 1950-51 season when 

 4,370 animals were taken (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fur 

 Catch in the United States, 1949-54, Wildlife Leaflet 367) for their 

 pelage. 



Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County: Little Patuxent 

 Eiver, 1. Dorchester County: Bloodsworth Island, 1. Garrett County: 

 Oakland (through National Zoological Park) , 1. Montgomery County: 

 Bethesda, 1 ; Cabin John, 2 ; Forest Glen, 2 ; Garrett Park, 1 ; Potomac, 

 1; Sligo Creek (near Takoma Park), 1; no exact locality, 2. Prince 

 Georges County: Bladensburg, 1; Branch ville, 2; College Park, 1; 

 Lanham, 1 ; Laurel, 44 ; no exact locality, 1. 



Other records and reports. — Montgomery County: Plummers Is- 

 land (Goldman and Jackson, 1939 : 12>2). Prince Georges County: Col- 

 lege Station, 8 miles NE of Washington; Patuxent Research Center, 

 (Uhler and Llewellyn, 1952, p. 84) . 



STRIPED SKUNK 



Mephitis mephitis nigra (Peale and Palisot de Beauvois) 



Viverra nigra Peale and Palisot de Beauvois, A scientific and descrip- 

 tive catalogue of Peale's museum, Philadelphia, p. 37, 1796. 



Type locality. — Maryland. 



General distribution. — New England and southern Ontario south to Virginia, 

 and west of the Allegheny Mountains from the lower peninsula of Michigan and 

 southern Illinois south to central Mississippi, Alabama, and Greorgia. 



Distribution in Maryland. — Distributed throughout the State, but 

 most abundant in the Allegheny Mountain, Kidge and Valley, and 

 Piedmont sections; scarce or lacking in many areas of the Eastern 

 Shore section. According to the Service Survey (U.S. Fish and Wild- 

 life Service, vol. 3(4), p. 15, December 1943), with the breaking up of 

 the former dense forest cover the striped skunk seems to be slowly 

 making its way southward along the Delmarva Peninsula into Dor- 

 chester County from Talbot County. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 1/2, = 34; 

 size large; body heavy, particularly rearward; tail very thick and 

 bushy; legs short; pelage dense and coarse; coloration black with a 

 thin white stripe medially on the nose, and two white stripes running 

 from head to tail. The amount of white on the striped skunk is subject 



