238 ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL 



the Camel of the New "World, an animal indigenous to 

 the Cordilleras, and wliich, in a domestic state, gives rise 

 to numerous races, distinguished by a difference of colour, 

 that have been considered as distinct species* : then the 

 Tapir of America, the prehensile-tailed Porcupine, the 

 Armadillo, the Sloth, the Anteatcr, the Chinchilla, the 

 Nasuas, which I would willingly refer to the same species ;t 

 the Cavys, the American Ostrich Rhea, &c. Several other 

 animals are found as far as Mexico, and even in the 

 southern parts of North America ; as the Lion of America 

 (Felis concolor), the Jaguar (Felis On^a), in which the 

 length of the tail appears very variable in different indivi- 

 duals ; tlie Skunks, Viverra putorius, and V. mephites,J 

 &c. There exist a very few animals wliicli are identical 

 in both Americas, sucli as the Hare, Lepus Americanus, 

 and L. Braziliensis. Finallv, there are some that are re- 

 presented by others in both Americas, even though belong- 

 ing to different species ; such are the Deer, and several 

 Dogs, the Procyons, the Didelphcs, &c. It should be cited 

 as a very remarkable fact, that in a region shrouded in 



* Islj researches on this subject have satisfied me that we must 

 reduce all the varieties of this animal to a single species, the Red 

 Llama. 



t "We never meet with two individuals of the genus Nasua perfectly 

 alike, which prevents me applying, for the determination of the species, 

 any of the characters that natux'alists have assigned to the two principal 

 species of this genus ; not even those drawn from tlie skull, the form of 

 which changes with the age. It might be, perhaps, objected that these 

 two species have a different mode of life, an objection which I have 

 often to refute by the simple observation, that many animals, when ar- 

 rived at a certain age, adopt a different mode of life : the young gene- 

 rally living in society, and undertaking journeys more or less distant ; 

 while the old ones isolate themselves in the recesses of deep forests, or 

 of mountainous regions. We may compare these habits to those of 

 birds of jiassage, among which, it is known, that the young always se- 

 parate themselves from the adults, on setting out on distant migi^ations. 

 I beg travelling naturalists to fix their attention on this interesting 

 point in the habits of animals. 



% All the pretended species of this genus that I have seen appear to 

 belong to a single species, the fur of which is black, varied often by 

 brown, with the white rays more or less broad, according to the indi- 

 vidual, or sometimes altogether without the rays, especially in the 

 young, several of which have been transmitted to us under the name of 

 Mustela Leucauchen. 



