360 On the Skunk, 



" as large as a calf of one or two years old ; its head, miicli li^e 

 that of a stag, and its horns, which are very large, lik e those of a 

 ram ; its tail and hair, speckled, and shorter than a stag's, but its 

 hoof is large round, and cleft as an ox's. I have eaten of these 

 beasts, he says, and their flesh is very tender and delicious." 



Dr. Gray, in his British Museum Catalogue, divides the Sheep 

 Tribe into four genera, Ovis, Caprovis, Pseudovis and Ammo- 

 tragus. To the first belongs the domestic sheep, Ovis aries, which 

 contains thirty-three varieties. To the second belongs the Rocky 

 Mountain sheep, and he calls it Caprovis Canadensis. There is a 

 variety of species in California which some authors, but it appears 

 without sufficient grounds, consider a distinct species, and they 

 call it Ovis Californica. There is, however, in the opinion of 

 Audubon and Bachman, who are certainly the best authorities 

 on the viviparous quadrupeds of JSTorth America, no reason for 

 the separation. 



ARTICLE LI. — On the SkunJc, {Mephitis chinga.) 



GENUS MEPHITIS.— Cuv. 



Dental Formula. 



Incisive^ ^ ; Canine^ \ — }-; Molar, f — J = 34. 



Generic Characters. — Canine teeth, very strong, conical ; two 

 small anterior cheek teeth or false molai-s above, and three below, 

 on each side ; the superior tuberculous teeth, very large, as broad 

 as they are long ; inferior molars, having two tubercles on the 

 inner side ; head, short ; nose, somewhat projecting ; snout, in 

 most of the species blunt. 



Feet, with five toes ; toes on the fore-feet, armed with long 

 curved nails, indicating the habit of burrowing in the earth ; heel^ 

 very little raised in walking. 



Hairs on the body usually long, and on the tail very long. 



The anal glands secrete a liquor which is excessively fetid. The 

 various species of this genus burrow in the ground, or dwell in 

 fissures of rocks, living on poultry, birds' eggs, small quadrupeds 

 and insects. They move slowly, and seldom attempt to run from 

 man, unless they chance to be near their burrows. They are, to- 

 a considerable extent, gregarious, large families being occasion- 

 ally found in the same hole. 



