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Show 1894.] MAMMALS OF URUGUAY. 303 which had some of the long hairs of the tail just tipped with white, giving the tail a frosted appearance when seen at close quarters, but not noticeable at a little distance. I made inquiries, but could not find anyone who had seen a white-backed or tailed Skunk in Uruguay. A dried skin measures 22 inches from the nose to the root of the tail; the tail itself is 8 inches long. Dr. Burmeister (' Description Physique de la Republique Argentine,' tome iii. p. 162) includes the Argentine Skunk under the name of Mephitis suffocans of Uliger (which is, I suppose, a synonym of C. mapurito). The Skunk he describes agrees with mine tolerably well with the exception of the white lines, which are said to rise on each side of the head separately. In a note he says expressly "les deux raies sont toujours separees sur le front." In this respect m y animal agrees with Gray's description of the Skunk of Chile, which, however, has a white tail (M. chilensis). I would suggest giving the various Neotropical Skunks, which differ in a greater or less degree from one another, subspecific names. The variation in the Uruguayan Skunk being constant, I have given it a name, and have called it after the river upon which I had m y headquarters during m y residence in Uruguay. A skin and skulls of this subspecies are now in the British Museum. It is curious that Burmeister makes no mention of a white-backed, white-tailed Skunk (as figured by Mr. W . H . Hudson) inhabiting Argentina. The Skunk is very common in Soriano and Flores, and very tame and impudent. W e were often annoyed by their coming about the estancia at night, probably after the fowls. In the still summer nights an overpowering smell of Skunk used to make us aware that one of these little beasts was wandering about, perhaps actually in the patio, and you never knew whether on going out you might not stumble over one or find it in your bedroom! A Skunk wdl seldom trouble to get out of your way, and faces a dog rather than run from it. I only once saw one run away, and that was after I had peppered him at long range with a charge of snipe-shot. W h e n out feeding on the camp in the evening the Skunk's paces are a shambling trot and a gallop. But they can go pretty fast when they like, e. g. the one I spoke of just now; every now and then it turned and faced the dog, who was not very keen to attack it, simply and solely because he had just killed another and was suffering all the penalties. This dog (" Jim ") was a short-legged, heavily-built terrier-something between bull and fox-and the best vermin dog I ever saw. I never knew him turn from a Skunk, and always had great difficulty in getting him to leave one " stuck up " in a difficult position. I have seen him kill a good many, and in the course of his rather long life be must have killed hundreds. The strong smell did not seem to have affected his scenting powers, for he had a splendid nose and would line a lizard or anything else. W h e n I heard him give |
