^lo The Mammals of Colorado 
nape, running back and forking behind shoulders, extending to tail 
and along sides of that nearly to tip ; there is also an indistinct band 
of white on tail about two thirds of the distance from the root 
to the tip. But there is so much variation in the amount of white 
that practically no two specimens are alike, and it is impossible 
to draw up descriptions to fit them all, and no separation of the 
species can be made by color characters alone. 
FIG. 67. NORTHERN PLAINS SKUNK, Mephitis hudsonica 
Skull showing dentition, somewhat enlarged 
The skull is large and broad, with prominent mastoid processes; 
the zygomata are widely expanded ; the palate is long and ends 
behind posterior molars, without notch or spine ; interorbital con- 
striction marked; nasals short; dentition heavy. 
Distribution. — This species is found from Fort Simpson, in the 
Mackenzie River region, Lat. 62° north, south into Nebraska and 
Colorado. Its east and west range is from Minnesota to Washing- 
ton, but it does not seem to have been recorded from the Pacific 
Coast in the latter State, nor does Howell mention any records from 
Oregon or California. At the same time Minnesota is the most 
eastern record, and it seems to be principally in the prairie and the 
mountain States to the west. 
At present we have but comparatively few Colorado records, 
though it is no doubt more widely distributed than these would 
