18 
MEPHITIS MESOLEUCA.— Light. 
Texan Skunk. 
PLATE LIII. Male. — Natural Size. 
M. Vitta solitaria media antice (in vertice) rotundata, acque lata ad 
basin caudae usque continuata, hac tota alba. 
CHAEACTERS. 
The whole hack, from the forehead to the tail, and the tail, white ; nose 
not covered with hair. 
SYNONYMES. 
Mephitis Mesolkuca, Lichtenstein. Darstellung neuer oder -vvcnig hekannter Sau- 
gethiere. Berlin, 1827, 1834. Tab. 44, Fig. 2. 
Mephitis Nasuta, Bennett. Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1833, p. 39. 
M. Mesoleuca, Licht. Ueber die Gattung Mephitis. Berlin, 1838, p. 23. 
DESCRIPTION. 
In form, this species bears a considerable resemblance to the common 
American skunk, {Mephitis chinga.) Like all the other species of skunk, 
this animal has a broad and fleshy body ; it is wider at the hips than at 
the shoulders, and when walking, the head is carried near the ground, 
whilst the back is obliquely raised six or seven inches higher ; it stands 
low on its legs, and progresses rather slowly. Forehead, slightly rounded ; 
eyes, small ; ears, short and rounded ; hair, coarse and long ; under fur, 
sparse, woolly, and not very fine ; tail, of moderate length and bushy ; 
nose, for three-fourths of an inch above the snout, naked. This is a char- 
acteristic mark, by which it may always be distinguished from the common 
American skunk, the latter being covered with short hair to the snout. 
Palms naked. 
COLOUR. 
The whole of the long hair, including the under fur on the back, and the 
tail on both surfaces, is white. This broad stripe commences on the fore- 
head about two inches from the point of the nose, running near the ears, 
