OCR Text |
Show 326 from the same locality, the ratio of width to length varying from 0.65 to 0.73. In addition to the increase in size southward, there is a tendency tb an increase in the intensity of the colors in the same direction, with & stronger contrast between the light and dark markings. These differences, taken collectively, have given rise to several nominal species, of which the P. hernandezi of Wagler and P. psora of Gray have become the most prominent. The species normally presents a considerable range of color- variation, tending on the one hand more or less to melanism and on the other to albinism. On these extreme phases of coloration have also been based other nominal species, as the P. obscurus of Wiegmann and the P. nivea of Gray. All these names have been already placed by Gray, in his later notices of the group, nnder the head of P. lotor, bnt separated as beiug varietally distinct It seems doubtful, however, whether even the large southern form, usually called hernandezi, is really entitled to subspecific recognition. Measurements of thirty- six skulls of PROCYON LOTOR. 8690 8893 1068 3733 3722 3079 898 60* 5 4H17 575 766 2443 0437 2447 8450 2444 2446 2903 8649 8085 3325 7739 1396 1387 3224 3933 13312 70H1 6119 6481 9706 13853 13854 13300 14190 14191 Locality. Alaska do Detroit, Mich Essex County, New York do do Pennsylvania do do Saint Simon's Island, Georgia . do do do do do do Nebraska Fort Cobb, Indian Ter Independence, Mo Long Point, Tex Lower Bio Grande do San Francisco, Cal Sacramento, Cal California Mirador, Mexico. .• Colima, Mexico do Tehuan tepee, Mexico do do Costa Rica do do \ 4.25 4.05 4.35 4.25 4.27 4.32 4.35 4.12 4.38 4.25 4.35 4.25 4.38 4.06 1.30 412 4.12 4.57 4.50 4.50 4.23 4.33 4.52 4.70 4.42 4.78 4.70 4.75 4.50 4.46 4.50 4.52 4.73 4.55 4.78 4.85 2.87 2.92 2.87 2.70 3.00 aoo 2.51 2.64 2.88 2.93 2.62 3.03 2.65 2.87 2.90 3.00 3.07 a 03 2.78 2.98 2.90 3.15 3.38 3.12 a 15 3.33 a is 2.83 a 49 a 03 3.32 aoo Remarks. Middle- aged. Young. Veryold. Middle- aged. Very old. Do! Do. Do. Do. Middle- aged. Very old. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Young. Old. Young. Old. Very old; " hernandtzi' Very old. Middle- aged. Old. Middle- aged. Young. Old. Very old. Middl Old die- aged. Do. PUTORIUS VISON. Eighteen skulls from the northern parts of the continent, mainly from Alaska, average 2.66 in length and 1.58 in width, the extremes being, length, 3.02 and 2.30; width, 1.90 and 1.40. Thirteen skulls from the highlands of Northeastern New York average 2.40 in length and 1.34 in width, the extremes being, length, 2.60 and 2.17. Three skulls from Pennsylvania ( undoubtedly males) average 2.49 in length and 1.43 in width. In the northern series, the sex of the skull is given by the collector, whence it appears that the twelve males have an average |