Robert B. Finley

“ Two first-year adults from Fisher Peak and Long Cañon are indistinguishable from topotypes of fallax of similar age and also resemble a young adult and a subadult from Trinidad, but all are insufficiently mature to show subspecific characters distinctly. Until adequate series are available from southwestern Las Animas County it seems best to regard all specimens from the three localities as representatives of a single uniform population which is intermediate between fallax and scopulorum but more nearly like the latter. ”

“ Four adults and one subadult from Trinidad are intergrades between N. m. scopulorum and N. m. fallax, perhaps more nearly resembling the former. In pelage they are indistinguishable from specimens of fallax from Gold Hill (the type locality) , less buff than most individuals of scopulorum from Otero, Prowers, and Baca counties. The skulls of the three fully mature adults are large with a wide zygomatic breadth, large rostrum, and large upper incisors [Pg 533] as in scopulorum; but the upper molars are small and the bullae are rather small and narrow as in fallax. ”

“ Comparisons.—N. m. scopulorum is extremely variable in color but averages lighter and richer in color than N. m. fallax, and about the same as N. m. inopinata. N. m. scopulorum can be separated from either by the following cranial differences: skull larger, more strongly arched at base of rostrum, interorbital constriction more posterior; supraorbital ridges concave laterally (in contrast to straight, diverging) ; interparietal shorter in median line, more widely spreading and rectangular; zygomatic arches more widely spreading and heavier; upper incisors wider; and molars larger. ”