broad triangnlar white nose patch, while Mephitis has only a thin 

 white stripe medially on the nose. The spotted skunk is considerably 

 the smaller species. 



Measurements. — Van Gelder (1959, p. 255) gives external and some 

 cranial measurements of this subspecies as follows: Males: Total 

 length 506.6 (453-610) ; tail 180.9 (152-211) ; hind foot 47.8 (41-51) ; 

 condylobasal length of skull 57.2 (53.6-61.9) ; zygomatic breadth 

 35.3 (32.5-37.8); interorbital breadth 15.5 (13.5-16.9); length of 

 maxillary toothrow 18.4 ( 17.0-20.5 ) . Females : Total length 450.7 (403- 

 470) ; tail 171.9 (154-193) ; hind foot 44.0 (39^7) ; basilar length 

 of skull 47.6 (45.0-50.0) ; zygomatic breadth 33.2 (31.8-34.8) ; inter- 

 orbital breath 15.0 (13.5-15.9) : length of maxillar}^ toothrow 17.7 

 (16.6-18.6). . 



A male from Piney Mountain, one-quarter mile north of U.S. Route 

 40 at Clarysville, Allegany County, has the following external and 

 cranial measurements: Total length 425; tail 155; hind foot 45; ear 

 13; condylobasal length of skull 55.1; zygomatic breadth 34.1; inter- 

 orbital breadth 14.8 ; length of maxillary toothrow 17.7. 



Habitat and habits. — In the northern part of its range this species 

 prefers to live in rock piles and crevices in cliffs. In more southern areas 

 of the southeastern United States it often inhabits wasteland and 

 cultivated fields and sometimes build its nest under farm buildings 

 or lives in deserted woodchuck burrows. All of the areas in which 



