E. Raymond Hall

“ The holotype of C. filipensis is an adult male.
We suppose that C. mesoleucus mesoleucus Lichtenstein and C. mesoleucus mearnsi Merriam on the one hand, and Conepatus leuconotus leuconotus Lichtenstein and C. l. texensis Merriam on the other hand will be found to intergrade, in which event the name Conepatus leuconotus, having page priority over Conepatus mesoleucus, will apply to the species. Proof of complete intergradation is not yet available. The one difference between the two that prevents our uniting them as subspecies of one species is the larger size of C. l. ”

“ In summary and review, specimens from the eastern part of the range heretofore ascribed to S. leucoparia nearly all have much inflated mastoidal bullae whereas less than half of the specimens of Spilogale from western New Mexico and Arizona have these bullae as greatly inflated; but, in No. 147252 from the head of the Rio Mimbres of New Mexico the inflation of the bullae is more extreme than in any specimen that we know of that has been referred to S. leucoparia. ”

“ Among named kinds of Blarina brevicauda, we find these specimens to resemble most closely Blarina brevicauda churchi and so refer them. They are readily distinguishable from specimens of B. b. kirtlandi, that occurs farther north in the same mountain range, by larger size and longer tail. Incidentally, in the specimens that we have examined, we do not find that B. b. churchi is darker colored than other subspecies of Blarina brevicauda ”

“ We have examined the specimen, No. 115995, in the Biological Surveys Collection, U.S. National Museum, and have compared it with specimens, including topotypes, of C. l. occidentalis and C. l. hudsonicus. The specimen fits the description of C. l. griseoalbus and differs from C. l. occidentalis in its long and narrow incisive foramina, larger skull, more nearly straight frontal profile (not markedly concave) , and slightly higher coronoid processes. Other differences alleged to obtain between these two subspecies offer no assistance in the present case. ”

“ As a result, the lateralmost white stripe in S. g. saxatilis averages narrower (and often is wanting) than in S. g. gracilis. The absence, or narrowness, of the lateralmost white stripe seems to be the principal basis for recognizing S. g. saxatilis, just as the tendency to narrow rostrum in Coloradan specimens seems to be the principal basis for recognizing Spilogale gracilis tenuis A. H. Howell. ”

“ The locations of these and other records of occurrence in Missouri and Arkansas suggest that the specimens from Reeds Spring might be better referred to C. n. rufus, the more western subspecies. An examination and comparison of the two specimens from Reeds Spring, Nos. 244127 and 244527, Biological Surveys Collection, discloses that they are intergrades between C. n. rufus and C. n. gregoryi. They resemble C. n. rufus in small size and cranial characters, but are more nearly C. n. gregoryi in the darker, less brightly rufescent color of the pelage. ”

“ They are easily distinguished from B. b. carolinensis by their chestnut, rather than slaty-black, color and small size. They are distinguishable from B. b. hulophaga, to which they might conceivably be referred on geographic grounds, by their color and small size. We refer them to Blarina brevicauda minima Lowery.
Spilogale angustifrons angustifrons A. H. Howell
In his "Revision of the skunks of the genus Spilogale" (N. Amer. Fauna, 26, November 24, 1906) A. H. Howell identified certain specimens in the United States National Museum as follows:
Spilogale leucoparia, ♂ sad. ”

“ The specimens mentioned above, along with the information recorded by Davis (loc. cit.) and other authors (for example, J. A. Allen, loc. cit., and Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 16:249-279, August 18, 1902) , give basis for arranging the North American Didelphis as follows:
In listing the subspecific names given immediately above we are aware of the possibility that a thorough study of the geographic variation in Didelphis marsupialis may contract or expand the list of recognizable subspecies. ”

“ In preparing maps showing the geographic distribution of North American mammals we have found in the literature conflicting statements and questionable identifications, which have led us to examine the specimens concerned with results as set forth below. ”

“ Verde, Arizona, under the name Conepatus mesoleucus mearnsi. This material seems to be specimens in the American Museum of Natural History of which the two oldest specimens are as follows: No. 2486/1921, male, adult, from Box Cañon, 20 mi. S Ft. Verde; No. 2487/1922, female, subadult, from Verde River, Arizona. Pertinent measurements of these specimens are, respectively, as follows: condylobasal length, 72.4, 68.8; zygomatic breadth, 50.0, 44.2; width of braincase at constriction behind zygomata, 36.4, 33.8 ”

“ N Hardy, is within the geographic range assigned to S. t. humboldtensis by Jackson (op. cit.:97) ; his southern records of occurrence of S. t. humboldtensis are Sherwood and Mendocino, both in Mendocino County, California. ”