MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS, 205 
The basal portion of the hairs on the back, therefore, is black, and the apical quite white, 
forming a pure blackish gray, or black, with white points and lines ; whilst all the under 
parts of the throat and part of the belly are black. The fascia extending from the fore- 
head to the sides of the neck is also white. This fascia does not extend in the speci- 
men described so far back as in the former species. The hairs of the whole body are 
very short in comparison, and much stiffer and more closely set. The animal is con- 
siderably larger, and the tail, as far as can be ascertained from a stuffed specimen, 
short in proportion. 
The native habits of the Grison are, doubtless, those of the terrestrial Mustelide gene- 
rally. Pursuing the smaller quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles on the ground, and even into 
trees, its carnivorous instinct is, probably, judging from its dentition, equally strong with 
theirs. The beautiful female specimen, which I had living for more than three years, 
was as tame and affectionate as a dog. She followed me, if permitted, wherever I went 
about the house, was extremely frolicsome and playful, and was delighted at being 
caressed. She would throw herself on her back, and seize the hand that fondled her 
with all four of her paws and her mouth at the same moment, pressing it with her 
teeth, but never sufficiently hard to cause the slightest degree of pain. She was ex- 
tremely fond of eggs, which she ate in a very singular manner. On one being given 
her, she first played with it for some time, running backwards, and at the same time 
pushing it under her belly with her fore-feet. At length she would fix one of her sharp 
canine teeth through the shell, and lick or suck as much of the contents as would 
flow through the orifice. Then again inserting her tooth, a piece of the shell was 
broken out so as to enable her to insert her tongue; and finally, the egg-shell was 
broken to pieces and each fragment carefully licked clean. For frogs she exhibited a 
decided fondness ; and she attacked two small alligators which I had living; one of 
which she killed and partly ate, and the other she wounded. The wound in each case 
was inflicted under the azilla, as being the least protected part, and that at which the 
large blood-vessels being torn through, would speedily bleed the animal to death. She 
died of stricture of the pylorus, without any other disease. 
This description of the genus appears to warrant the opinion which I have given of 
its affinities; namely, that it essentially belongs to the family of the Mustelide, but 
deviating from that type by the plantigrade character of the feet, in which it exhibits 
an obvious approach to the Urside. 
To Viverra its relation must be very remote; to Ursus and Gulo its approach has 
just been alluded to; to Lutra, in which genus we have seen it was placed by Dr. Traill, 
its affinity is more obvious, as it clearly belongs to the same family ; but by the im- 
portant character of the dentition, as well as its general form, it approximates so closely 
to Mustela (Putorius of Cuvier) the typical genus of the family, that but for the more 
plantigrade character of the feet, it must have been associated with it. 
VOL, Il.— PART III. QE 
