nFS(^RlPTIO]S OF AN EXTINCT MINK FROM THE SHELL-
By Daniel Webster Prentiss.
Upon the shores and islands of Penobscot Bay and the adjacent coastthere exist numerous shell-heaps, the majority of which were made byi ex . ^^^^ ^^ ^^^.^ ^^^ ^.^t,?t,l;t"the^ V '^^^^^ few' square yards. The age of the majorityrfthese^el -heaps is unknown, but from the absence ot me als anda tSe of EuropLn manufacture from many of them, it .s allowable
p??.. .,.c, o, ?..-.? ..-* ;:??T.'.;.?t
to .uppoBC that these at .ea.t date back to pv^Colum^^^^^^^idea is strengthened by the i-oj^ '?;' ^^ *P,, .-hieh appearsof the skull of a mink, representmg-^ t ,> ?? ?"?""'- "' "'^'^to be new, and is below described to the ^^^^ ^?,, ,^??,,,ageextinct species of anin.als ?y> '1?"''.''?:! '"f The drawings illustrateof the contents of these *ell-heaps n ea^.^.well the specific ditlerencesjwmte<UHrtbelow^^---^-^^;^;^;:^^;^^;7^^xv,-No. ,336. ^.
888 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. VOL. XXVI.LUTREOLA MACRODON, new species.Type specimen.?"^o. 115178, United States National Museum collected by R W. True and D. W. Prentiss in 1897.Type locality.?Y^YooXsXm, Hancock County, Maine.Condition of 25y^^.-Fragment (.f skull composed" of the superiormaxilhe, portions of the nasals, right zygoma, and palate extendino-b nun. back of molars. All of the teeth are present on the right side"three incisors and one premolar on the left side. The teeth are inexcellent condition except the canine, which is broken at the point andportions of enamel missing. The bones are very brittle and of a'yel-lowish color on their broken surfaces.Descrlptloa.-^o^mn very wide, nasal aperture large, ant-orbitaltoramina also large. The nasals ascend more abruptly than in L n\onliitreocephakis, its nearest relative. The dentition i.^ very similar tothis race ? the principal differences being the large size of teeth andthe more acute angle which the carnassial makes with the long axis ofthe skull. ^
Meamirements.
Incisor rowPremolar row at base! ! .' '.Palate between canines
.
Palate between molars
.
^'^^^'^^s^^^'!^'!i^^^^'^'^o^^v-^t};iBetween ant-orbital foraminaBreadth of nasal apertnreAnt-orbital foramenBase of incisor row to tip of liasai
Lutreolaviacrodon.Type.Mm.8.2518. 259.0012.5030.0022. 009.256x414. 25
L. visoningens.Type.raMm.7.517.79.0012.0028.0020.007.55x313.25
L. rinovIntrean [tjm.Im. 36915U.S.N. M.''Mm.6.7514.508.0011.0026.0018. 008.004.X313.00
"Fort Yukon, Alaska. 6 Near Washington, District of Columbia.The skulls from which the foregoing measurements were taken areadult. Ihe measurements of L. macrodon, compared with those ofL V. hUreocephcdus, its nearest relative, show the enormous size ofK^,hT. ". f; " ^'^r'T' ""''^'^ "^^ ^^'^ I'^^-S-^^^ American mink,but L. decidedly smaller than the one here described.stHl in T'rl^^'T. "'' '^"' '^^'^' '" ^' ' ^^^treocephalu. is verynk g, but the difference in size of the teeth, the angle of the nasals!and the position of the carnassials justify me, I belie, e, in the absof intermediate forms, in describing itI wish to express my thanks to the )senceas a new species.Insfifnfu.n + ' ? ^^^ Secretary of the SmithsonianD H .^V'''"""'^"" '" """^^ ^^"^ ^-^P^^'t "P?^^ ti^i? 'Specimen, toLJi. C. alt Merriam tor access to the coWections of the BiolooicalSurvey, Department of Agriculture; to Mr. G ^^ ' ^'^to Mr. Outran! Ikngs, of Boston. errit S. Miller, jr.; and