CARNARIA. 99 



Brown ; top of the head grey ; a large white spot under the 

 throat. 



These two animals are found in all the warm climates of 

 America, and smell strongly of musk. Their feet are some- 

 what palmated, and it appears they have sometimes been taken 

 for Otters. (1) 



Ratelus, F. C. , 



The Ratels have a false molar in each jaw less than the Grison, 

 and their upper tuberculous tooth is but slightly developed, so that 

 in the teeth they approach the Cat, while their whole exterior is 

 that of the Grison or Badger. The legs are short j feet plantigrade, 

 and five toes to each ; nails very strong. Sec. Sec. 



One species only is known, the Viverra meUivora, Sparm.; 

 and Viv. capensis, Schreb, pi. 125. Size of the European Bad- 

 ger ; grey above ; black beneath, with a white line that sepa- 

 rates the two colours ; sometimes it is nearly all white above. 

 It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, and digs up the earth with 

 its long claws, in search of the honey-combs of the wild bees. 

 The 



DIGITIGRADA 



Form the second tribe of the Carnivora. The animals 

 which compose it walk on the ends of their toes. 



In the first subdivision there is only one tuberculous tooth 

 behind the upper carnivorus ; these animals, on account of the 

 length of their body, and the shortness of their legs, which 

 permit them to pass through the smallest openings, have been 

 styled ve?'miform. Like the preceding ones, they have no 

 csecum, but they are not torpid during the winter. Linnaeus 

 placed them all in one genus, that of 



MUSTELA, Lin., 

 Or the Weasels, which we will divide into four subgenera. 



PuTORius, Cuv. 



The Polecats are the most sanguinary of all ; the lower carnivo- 

 rous tooth has no inner tubercle, and the superior tuberculous one 



(1) It is supposed by the description given by Marcgrave of his cariqueibeiu, 

 which name Buffon has applied to his saricovienne. Vol. XIII, p. 319, that he 

 meant to speak of tlic Taira. 



