TEXAN SKUNK. 
19 
and in a straight line along the sides and over the haunches, taking in the 
whole ofthe tail. The nails are white ; the whole of the under surface of 
the body black, with here and there a white hair interspersed. On the 
forefeet around the palms and on the edges ofthe under surface, there are 
coar.se whitish hairs. 
The peculiarities in the colour of this species appear to be very uniform, 
as the specimens we examined in the Berlin Museum and in the collection 
ofthe Zoological Society in London, corresponded precisely with the speci- 
men from which this description has been made. 
DIMENSIONS. 
From point of nose to root of tail. 
Tail (vertebral), 
Do. to end of hair, - - . . . 
Breadth of head between the ears, 
Height of ear, 
Length of heel to longest claw, - - . 
Breadth of white stripe on the middle ofthe back, 
Weight. 5 lbs. 
Ft. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Inches. 
4 ^ 
^2 
7 
11 
3 
OA 
5 
HABITS. 
This odoriferous animal is found in Texas and Mexico, and is very sim- 
ilar in its habits to the common skunk of the Eastern, Middle and South- 
western States. A specimen procured by J. W. Audubon, who travelled 
througdi a portion of the State of Texas in 1845 and 6, for the purpose of 
obtaining a kno'wdedge of the quadrupeds of that countiy, was caught alive 
in the neighbourhood of the San Jacinto ; it was secured to the pack saddle 
of one of his baggage mules, but managed in some way to escape during 
the day’s march, and as the scent was still strong on the saddle, it was not 
missed until the party arrived at the rancho of Mr. McFadden, who kept 
a house of entertainment for man and beast, which by this time was greatly 
needed by the travellers, 
The almost endless varieties of the Mephitis chinga, the common skunk, 
many of which have been described as distinct species by naturalists, have, 
from our knowledge of their curious yet not specific differences, led us to’ 
admit any new species with doubt ; but from the peculiar characteristics 
of this animal, there can be no hesitation in awarding to Prof. Lichtenstein 
the honour of having given to the world the first knowledge of this inter- 
esting quadruped. 
Ihe Mephitis Mesolcuca is found on the brown, brogmy, sedgv plains, as 
