Mearns, Edgar Alexander, 1856-1916

Scott, William Earl Dodge, 1852-1910.

American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications

ARTICLE XVII.-Descri.btion of a New Species of Weasel, and aNew Subspecies of the Gray Fox, from Arizona. By EDGARA. MEARNS, Assistant Surgeon, U. S. A.Putorius arizonensis, sp. nov.(ARIZONA WEASEL.)Habitat.-Mountains and high plateau region of Arizona, down to the lowerlimit of the forest zone of Pinus ponderosa.General Characters.-This is one of the smaller Weasels, its skull being butlittle larger than that of Putorius vulgaris from England. The general effect ofits coloration is similar to that of P. longicauda, though approaching the deepertints of P. brasiliensis xanthogenys.Summer Pelage (based on the type specimen, a nursing female, taken June20, I886*).-Above yellowish n¶ahogany-brown, deepening to chocolate-brownon the front of the head; tail with terminal black pencil; below tawny-yellow,becoming paler on the inner surface of the limbs, and shading to white on thehind toes and on the whole of the manus; throat and border of upper lip white;tail of the same color as the upper surface, but paler towards the base below;whiskers mixed black and white, the longest measuring 33 mm. in length; notrace of a white spot between the eyes, nor of a dark spot near the angle of themouth. There are a few white hairs in the nape.Fall Pelage (No. 2489, Am. Mus. Coll., 8 ad., Quaking Asp Settlement,Mogollon Mounta,in Divide, Yavapai Co., Arizona, Sept. 20, I887, collected byDr. Mearns).-Similar to the above, but with more tawny-yellow staining on thefeet, and a more olivaceous shade above. The white spot between the eyes, seenin xanthogenys, is suggested by a minute white spot, and the dark blotch at eachside of the head, behind the angle of the mouth, sometimes seen in longicauda,and conspicuous in xanthogenys, is likewise indicated.Measurements of Type (taken in the flesh by the author).-Length, measuredfrom nose to end of caudal vertebre, 302 (to end of hairs of tail, 323); head andbody, measured from nose to tuberosity of ischium, I98; tail, from root toend of vertebrae, Io9; tail, from root to end of hairs, I30; height of ear abovecrown, II; height of ear above notch, I9; width of ear, I7; from tip of nose toeye, I4; to ear, 30; to auditory meatus, 35, to, tip of ear, 49; to occiput, 45;to end of outstretched hind limb, 275; distance between eyes, I3; girth ofneck, 65; girth of chest, 78; girth of abdomen, 88; girth of loin, 70; forelimb, measured from coracoid process to end of longest claw, 63; from olecranonto end of claws, 44; length of manus, 22; longest claw of manus, 4.3; hindlimb, measured from great trochanter to end of claws, 77; knee-joint to end ofclaws, 56; length of pes, 32; longest claw of pes, 4 mm.*A memorandum of the colors was made before skinning, the specimen having been subse-quently preserved in a solution of alum and salt, which extracted much of the coloring matter.r234][No. 2.] Mearns on a New Weasel andFox from Arizona. 235Cranial Characters.-The only skull before me is that of the type (No. I886,Am. Mus. Coll.) which, fortunately, is perfect, and adult, the sutures beingclosed and obliterated; but, from the perfect condition of the teeth, and the ab-sence of prorfinent bony ridges, it is probably but middle aged. The animalwas nursing young at the time it was taken. It is most closely related to Putoriusbrasiliensis xanthogenys, P. b. frenatus, and P. longicauda, from which itssmall size at once distinguishes it, it being less than half the size of either ofthem, as regards bulk and weight, the skull measuring but 35.3 mm. in basi-lar length by 22 mm. in zygomatic breadth. With the single specimen inhand, and an insufficient series of skulls of the remaininig species of the genusfrom which to prepare reliable average measurements and ratios for comparison,it is impossible, as yet, to give a sufficiently exact account of the cranial anddental characters of this species. It appears to present no very salient points ofdifference from the forms above named, though the palatal notch is a littleshallower, and the audital bulle slightly more developed. The height of themandible, as compared with its length, is a little less than in those species, butgreater than in vulgaris, cicognani,* and erminea from the Eastern United States.Its proportions are nearest to the two northern subspecies of brasiliensis, inwhich the brain-case is relatively broader, as compared with the basilar length ofHensel, than in longicauda, and considerably broader than in any other Ameri-can species of the genus-taking the genus Putorius in a wide sense, to includeCynomyonax and Lutreola-arizonensis having the brain-case broader thanlongicauda, equaling frenatus, and appreciably narrower than xanthogenys.The zygomatic breadth is relatively less than in any of the remaining NorthAmerican species except cicognani and erminea. The ratio of the two measure-ments, from the posterior border of the foramen magnum to the hinder marginof the palate, and from the last point to the front incisor teeth, is, in arizonensis54:46, in xanthogenys 53:47, in frenatus 58:42, in longicauda 53:47, in erminea(from the Eastern United States) 55:45, in cicognani 58:42, in vison 48:52, innigripes 5I:49. No saggital crest is developed in this specimen, and it is prob-able that it will prove to be inconspicuous in this species, the skull as a wholebeing lightly ossified.Type, No. 2 , Am. Mus. Coll., V ad., San Francisco Forest, YavapaiCounty, Arizona, June 20, i886, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns.* The species provisionally referred to this form is a very slender Weasel1 from Fort Snelling,Minnesota, represented in my collection by five specimens, which are very distinct from ermincaand vulgaris, both of which have representatives in this region. Its size and proportions arenearer to Bonavarte's diagnosis of this species, as elaborated by Professor Baird, than to thesame author's ' M. richardsoni," which has a longer tail. These specimens averaged 2I8 mm.in length of head and body, withi the caudal vertebrn 8o mm., and the pes 40 mm. The furrycoat is short and quite harsh, as compared with the small Weasels of the East, and differentlycolored, the color being chocolate-brown) becoming much darker on the fore part of the head,which has the upper lip indifferently white or dark, or a mixture of both. The feet are mostlycolored like the upper surface, and the underparts nearly pure white, there being no stainingof the upper or under surface with yellow. End of tail black.236 Bulletin American Afuseum of Natural History. [Vol. III,Uroeyon virginianus scottii, subsp. nov.(SCOTT'S Fox.)Habitat.-Southern California, Arizona, and Western New Mexico.General Characters.-Similar in general size and pattern of coloration toUrocyon virginianus, but more slender, with very much longer ears and tail,with the muzzle more attenuated, and the colors paler, purer gray, and moreyellowish fulvous.Type, No. gg4-, 8 nearly adult, Pinal County, Arizona, October 28, I884;collected by W. E. D. Scott.Description of Type.-About the size of U. virginianus, but more slender,with much longer tail, and much longer and more pointed ears; upper surface afine, hoary gray, the underfur being gray, the long coat black with broad whiteor silver-gray subterminal annulations; towards the sides the black area on thelong hairs gradually decreases, and, in consequence, the color becomes paler andgrayer; whole of lower jaw black, curving around the commissure and extendingforward as a narrow marginal band as far as the whiskers, where the whole sidesof the muzzle become black (as are the whiskers), excepting a small white spotadjoining the nasal pad; lower half of face, inner surface of ears, throat, a largepatch on the breast and another on the belly, pure white; convexity and base ofears, sides of neck (meeting to form a gorget), edge of belly, and hinder surfaceof limbs, yellowish fulvous, darkest on the base of the ears; fore limbs with ahoariness extending from the middle of the humerus to the feet; chest and innersides of limbs stained with fulvous; tail gray, with a broad stripe of pale yellow-ish fulvous below, and a narrow stripe of black above, formed by the so-called'mane' of stiff hairs in the median line.Measurements.-No. 472, Mearns Collection,* 8 ad., near Fort Verde,Yavapai County, Arizona, November 22, I886: Length, measured from nose toend of caudal vertebrae, 985; head and body, 585; tail from root to end ofvertebrae, 405; to end of hairs, 475; greatest expanse of tail, 2oo; girth ofchest, 290; height of ear from notch, 78, above crown, 83 ; width of ear, 75;distance between eyes, 3I; diameter of eye, I5; length of longest whisker, go;from tip of outstretched fore limbs to that of outstretched hind limbs, 925 ; fromtip of nose to front incisor teeth, I6; to angle of mouth, 67; to eye, 59; tocentre of pupil, 68; to ear, II8; to tip of ear, 2I2; to occiput, 146; to end ofoutstretched hinder extremity, 905 ; fore limb from coracoid process of scapulato end of claws, 267; from olecranon, I92; length of manus, 94; width, 32;hind limb from great trochanter to end of claws, 350; from knee-joint, 240;length of pes, I32, width, 32 ; weight, 8/ pounds Avoir. Iris hazel.No. 664, Mearns Collection, V ad., Copper Cafion, Verde Mountains (nearForte Verde), Arizona, February io, i888: Length, measured from nose to* Measured in the flesh by the author; still in a preservative fluid, and not yet catalogued inthe American Museum Collection.No. 2.] Mearns on a New Weasel and Fox from Arizona. 23 7end of caudal vertebre, 1,105; head and body, 630; tail, from root to end ofvertebrae, 470; to end of hairs, 545; breadth of expanded tail, I90; girth ofchest, 250; height of ear from notch, 84; above crown, 92; width of ear, 8o;distance between eyes, 30; diameter of eye, I5 ; length of longest whisker, 97;from tip of nose to front teeth, 14; to angle of mouth, 68; to eye, 59; to centreof pupil, 69; to ear, 123; to tip of ear, 225; to occiput, I48 ; to end of out-stretched hind limbs, 950; fore limb from coracoid to end of claws, 275; fromolecranon, 203 ; length of manus, 95 ; width, 30; claws, II.5, 15, 14, I4, I3.5 ;hind limb from great trochanter to end of claws, 355; from knee-joint, 220;length of pes, I35 ; width, 28 ; claws, 13, 13, I3, I3.Average measurements of three adult males of Urocyon virginianus, from theHudson Highlands, New York, taken by the author, and measured in the flesh:Head and body, 642; tail from root to end of vertebrae, 333; to end of hairs,437; breadth of expanded tail, 229; height of ear above crown, 77'; from tip ofnose to eye, 54; to ear, II7; to occiput, 143; fore limb from olecranon to endof claws, I90. Iris grayish brown.Cranial Characters.-The produced muzzle and slender frame of this Fox ascompared with the shortened muzzle and stouter build of the eastern animal,should, it would seem, find expression in pronounced cranial characters; but Ihave examined the half-dozen skulls before me without being able to fix upon asingle diagnostic character, skulls from New York differing more among them-selves than they do from Arizona specimens; but there are average differencesbetween specimens from the two regions; but, to define them with precision,larger series of specimens are required.Remarks.-There is considerable variation in the intensity ofthe fulvous markings in the six skins examined, the brightest onehaving been taken in February. The contrast of these markingswith the beautiful silver-gray of the upper surface is very pleasing,the pelts being handsomer by far than those of the Eastern GrayFox, and highly prized by the Indians. All of these specimensdiffer from eastern ones in having all of the underfur gray,except upon the forehead where it has a faint fulvous tinge,whereas eastern specimens are quite strongly tinged with fulvousover the whole upper surface, though the hairs are plumbeous atthe extreme base. The Arizona animal is paler, clearer grayabove, with the fulvous markings yellowish instead of chestnut-fulvous. The tail is differently colored in the two animals, thatorgan being distinctly tricolored in V. scottii-gray, striped withblack above and yellowish fulvous below; while in V. virginianusthe gray color of the sides of the tail is largely mixed with rufous,238 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. III.]especially towards the extremity, where the hairs are only blackfor their terminal three-fifths.Scott's Fox is distinguished by the great size of its ears, whichmeasure i i mm. more in height than those of U. virgiliianus;also by the greater length of its tail, the caudal vertebrae averag-ing 105 mm. more in length than in the eastern species, which isstouter, with relatively shorter limbs and heavier body. Thedifferences noted between the Eastern Gray Fox and the presentsubspecies have a close parallel in the case of Vulpes velox andV. macrotis. In V. velox, the Eastern Kit Fox, the body is stout,with short ears and tail; while in V. macrotis, which inhabitsSouthern California and Arizona, the ears are much enlarged, thetail elongated, and the form slender. In external appearanceScott's Fox differs as much from the Eastern Gray Fox as V.macrotis does from the Eastern Kit Fox; but the well-markedcranial characters which serve so well to distinguish the latterspecies from each other are absent in the Gray Foxes; or, rather,the variations are so great in skulls from a single locality that theaverage differences between specimens from the two regions areoverlapped by exceptional individuals in either.Skulls of a Gray Fox from Nicasio, California, collected byMr. C. A. Allen, agree essentially with those from Arizona; andMr. D. G. Elliot procured a specimen of Scott's Fox in the SanFrancisco Mountains of New Mexico. Its range, therefore,extends from Southern California across Arizona into westernNew Mexico.

New weasel and fox from Arizona

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