Bangs.] 536 [May 15, 
Owing to lack of material I do not propose to discuss the rela- 
tionship of the western skunks inter se, but one point is clear, that 
we must recognize Richardson's JlejyhUis americana var. hud- 
sonica described in Fauna Boreali-Americana, Quadrupeds, p. 55- 
56. His description is fairly clear, and he gives one of the 
localities where the species is common as the "Chimps of wood 
which skirt the sandy plains of the Saskatchewan." 
The skunk that must thus bear the name Mephitis hudsonica 
(Kichardson) is the largest of all our skunks and has an exten- 
sive range in the northern prairies, extending as far east at least 
as Minnesota (Fort Snelling and Elk River). 
DESCRIPTIOX OF A NEW MINK PUTORIUS (LUTKEOLA) VUL- 
GIVAGUS SP. NOV., FROM THE BAYOU 
REGION OF LOUISIANA. 
In the collection of mammals made by ]Mr. F. L. Small, at 
Burbridge, La., is a series of eleven mink, representing a species 
JPutorius {Lutreold) vidgivagus very different from the P. vison 
of the northeast. This mink Mr. Small found abundantly in 
swamps, and along the numerous water-courses of that saturated 
country ; and doubtless it has a wide range along the Gulf 
Coast, and perhaps well into the interior of the country. The 
great differences between it and P. vison, however, seem to be 
specific, and T doubt whether it passes into that species at any 
point. 
I have never been able to see a Florida mink and I do not 
know of a single specimen in any collection, although it has 
been reported by Maynard and othei-s who have collected in 
Florida. I hunted for it in vain along the Indian River and was 
unable to find any " signs," or get any word of its occurrence 
from the native hunters and trappers. Once or twice, I was 
told that " mink " were occasionally killed, but on close ques- 
tioning these " mink " always turned out to be the Florida 
weasel (Putorius peni?isulae). This I actually proved on one 
occasion — when a plume-hunter told me he had killed a "mink " 
up a live oak tree, about a year before, and had skinned it. The 
skin got rain-soaked and spoilt in a storm and he buried it. 
