Soc. Washington, 44:17, February 21, 1931).

Procyon lotor hernandezii, Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 3:176, December 10, 1890.

Remarks.—In allusion to its habit of washing its food, in captivity at least, before eating it, the Spanish speaking people often refer to this species as ositos labadores. The specimen from 10 mi. ESE Zamora is a skull without lower jaws or indication of sex. Because the racoons damage corn in the roasting ear stage the animals are disliked by the farmers, a score of whom sometimes band together in an organized hunt to kill the animals. Dogs are especially trained to hunt them. In Michoacán no use is made of the pelts.

Nasua narica molaris Merriam

Coati; Spanish, Pizote; Tarascan, Amátze (Amatz)

Nasua narica molaris Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 15:68, March 22, 1902, type from Manzanillo, Colima; Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:79, June 25, 1942.

Remarks.—We have no positive record of this animal which Goldman (1942:79) writes "is widely distributed from Jalisco south through Colima, Michoacán, ... to southwestern Oaxaca." In the parts of Michoacán visited by us the Spanish name tejón instead of pizote was used for this animal although in parts of México where the badger (Taxidea) occurs, tejón is, we understand, the name used for the badger.

Bassariscus astutus consitus Nelson and Goldman

Ring-tailed Cat; Spanish, Cacomixtle

Bassariscus astutus consitus Nelson and Goldman, Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 22:487, October 19, 1932, type from La Salada, 40 mi. S Uruapan, Michoacán.

Remarks.—La Salada and three miles northwest of Pátzcuaro are the two localities represented by actual specimens. A live animal, at night, was seen one mile east and four miles south of Tacámbaro at 4,500 feet elevation. The young female from three miles northwest of Pátzcuaro was trapped at a break in a stone fence.

Ring-tailed cats live in the stone walls, crevices and rocky ledges, around corn fields and pasture lands.

Mustela frenata leucoparia (Merriam)

Weasel; Spanish, Comadreja; Tarascan, Apásr or Apatzee (Apatz)

Putorius frenatus leucoparia Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 11:29, June 30, 1896, type from Pátzcuaro, Michoacán.

Mustela frenata leucoparia, Miller, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 79:100, December 31, 1912.

Remarks.—This subspecies of weasel is notable for having, among American weasels of any kind, the maximum amount of white on the head. When collecting at Pátzcuaro we saw no live specimens but were shown several from there that had been recently mounted by P. Luna. He regarded the animal as not especially rare.

Spilogale angustifrons angustifrons Howell

Spotted Skunk; Spanish, Zorrillo Manchado

Spilogale angustifrons Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 15:242, December 16, 1902, type from Tlalpam, D. F.

Remarks.—The short tail of our specimen, an adult male, is noteworthy as perhaps also is the breadth between the orbits. External measurements are 338, 101, 39. It weighed 308 grams. Selected cranial measurements are: Basilar length, 44.1; zygomatic breadth, 32.4; postpalatal length, 26.6; least interorbital breadth, 13.8; height of cranium, 16.0. The specimen was trapped in a hole in a stone fence. Howell (1906:23), under the name Spilogale gracilis, recorded another male from Pátzcuaro.

Mephitis macroura macroura Lichtenstein

Hooded Skunk; Spanish, Zorrillo or Mofeta Rayada; Tarascan, Cuitziqui (Kweetzeke)

Mephitis macroura Lichtenstein, Darstellung Neuer oder wenig bekannter Säugethiere pl. 46, 1832, type from mountains northwest of México City.

Remarks.—Skunk tracks were abundant in all localities around Pátzcuaro. Most of our specimens were caught in steel traps, some along the edges of cornfields, others along the highway and along the pole fences. Tarascan friends at Colonia Revolución were eager to have the bodies of the skunks which we caught. They regarded the skunks as a delicacy and told us that this food was reputed to be good for a person's blood and complexion.

Conepatus mesoleucus nelsoni Goldman

Hog-nosed Skunk; Spanish, Zorillo Real

Conepatus mesoleucus nelsoni Goldman, Jour. Mamm., 3:41, February 8, 1922, type from Armería (near Manzanillo), Colima, 200 ft. altitude.

Remarks.—The name C. m. nelsoni is tentatively used for the single skin, which is without skull or indication of sex.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus colimensis Goldman

Gray Fox; Spanish, Zorra Gris; Tarascan, Cúmihuátz (Cumewatz)

Urocyon cinereoargenteus colimensis Goldman, Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:495, November 15, 1938, type from 3 mi. W city of Colima, 1,700 ft. elevation.

Remarks.—The female from southeast of Tacámbaro, caught on March 20, 1943, had two embryos, 28 mm. in length. This female was trapped near a small stream. Goldman (1938:497) reported 7 specimens of U. c. colimensis from the following localities in the state: La Huacana, 1; La Salada, 2; Los Reyes, 1; Mount Tancítaro, 1; Pátzcuaro, 2.

Fig. 1. Panoramic view of Lake Pátzcuaro.

Fig. 2. Stuffed skins, in dorsal view, of 6 males of Mephitis macroura macroura, all trapped within a radius of 5 miles of