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DIGITIGP.ADE CAUNIYORA. 



The Skunks (Mephites *) are celebrated for their intolerable 

 stencil, which they diftuse to a great distance. They inhabit North 

 America. 



The Otters fLwh-a) possess a peculiar physiognomy, whicli prevents 

 them from being confomided with any of the neiglibouring genera. 

 Destined to pursue and to feed' on living fishes, they are aquatic 

 animals, and furnished with means of swift progression beneatli the 

 water. Their body is long but flattened, and capable of much flexi- 

 bility in swimming. The feet are broad and webbed, and the tail 

 flattened horizontally, forming a rudder. Their coat is very thick, 

 and formed of two sorts of hairs, one silky, tlie other woolly : the 



Fig. 4(52.— otter. 



silky is long, stout, hard, and shining, and the hairs tliicker at the 

 point than at their base : the woolly is short and compact, forming 

 an extremely soft fur. These animals live chiefly upon fish, after 

 which they dive with i^eculiar ease and swiftness, capturing their 

 slippery prey with unerring skill. Tlie result of their fishing is 

 always brought on land to be devoured, and the head bitten oft' as 

 the first mouthful. They inhabit bye-places, and sequestered nooks 

 on the banks, or in the neighbourhood of water ; here they make a 

 bed of dry grass, and remain concealed during the day, it is only 

 at night, tliat they issue forth in search of food. 



The Sea Otter ViUws/eZa lutris < is twice as large as the common 

 Otter: and its black coat of the vivid brightness of velvet forms one 

 of the most precious furs. This species inhabits Kamtschatka, the 



Mephitis, a noxious exhalation. 



