6 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



or Skuuks, are not foiiiul in the Old World, where they are 

 represented by the African ZorllUmv; they occur in South as 

 well as North America. The MeUna\ or Badgers, are common 

 to Xorth and Middle America and the Eastern Hemisphere, 

 but do not occur iu South America. The Sea Otter, sole repre- 

 sentative of the EaliijdriMC, inhabits both coasts of the ]^orth 

 Pacific. The Lutrincc, or ordinary Otters, are of general dis- 

 tribution in both hemispheres. The MusfeUnw, or true Weasels, 

 Martens, &c., are of very general distribution, as already indi- 

 cated; such is especially the case with the typical genus Puto- 

 rius. The genera Mustela and Gulo chiefly inhabit the higher 

 latitudes; Galictis is peculiar to South America. 



The North American forms of the family down to the genera 

 are exhibited in the following synoptical table: — 



Subclass MonodelpMa. 



Super-order Educahilia. 

 Order Ferw. 



Suborder FissipedUi. 



Super-family Jrctoidea. 

 Family Mustelidcu. 



Subfamily Mastelinoi. 



Geuera Gulo. (Tlie Wolverene.) 

 Mustela. (The Martens.) 

 Putorius. (The Weasels.) 

 Subfamily MephUiim. (The Skunks.) 

 Geuera Mepliitis. 

 SpUonale. 

 Conepatus. 

 Subfamily Melincv. (The Badgers.) 



Genus Taxidea. 

 Subfamily Liitrina. (The Otters.) 



Genus Lutra. 

 Subfamily Enlnjdrimc. (The Sea Otter.) 

 Genus Enhydra. 



