SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 193 



Smoothing his fur, I plugged the shot-holes, exa- 

 mined him closely, measured him; admired his 

 handsome shape, bright-grey coat, and brushy 

 tail; investigated his teeth and claws, walked 

 back, and had a look at him from a distance; 

 then set to work, and skinned him. You can 

 see him also, if you like to visit the British 

 Museum, where this very victim is ' set up,' and 

 placed amidst the Marmots ; his name, together 

 with that of his destroyer, black-lettered on the 

 board to which he is affixed. At the sound of 

 the rifle, every one of his companions took sensa- 

 tion-headers into their holes, and did not come 

 out again during my stay on this occasion. 



The length, from the nose to the root of the tail, 

 was a trifle over twelve inches ; the tail six inches ; 

 head oval, and very flat ; nose, short and broad, 

 thickly covered with fine hairs; the cutting 

 (incisor) teeth large, strong, and of a yellow 

 colour; whiskers, black and long; ears, nearly 

 hid by the fur on the neck and vertex ; the claws, 

 strong and curved, are admirable digging imple- 

 ments. The general tint is that of a rusty-grey, 

 with a blackish conspicuous band extending from 

 the back of the head down the shoulders. I 

 need not give a more minute detail of specific 

 characters. 



VOL. n. o 



