TAYRA.—Gulera barbara. 
that of a hen calling to her chicks. The eye of the Tayra is small, bright, and brown in 
colour, It is sometimes known by the title of the Great Weasel, under which name it 
has been described by Azara, who has, unfortunately, not left any account of its habits in 
a wild state. Its nature, manners, and customs, are, however, said to resemble those of the 
following animal. 
The size of the Tayra is nearly equal to that of the common Marten. 
The Grison, or Huron, is a native of the Brazils, and is very common about the 
vicinity of Paraguay. 
In its natural disposition it is exceedingly fierce, and is a terrible foe to almost every 
animal that it chooses to attack. Even in a state of domestication the savage instinct 
cannot be eradicated, for even when the Grison is rendered sufticiently tame to suffer the 
touch of the human hand, and to return the caresses of those to whose presence it was 
accustomed, it has been known to break loose from its confinement, and to slaughter some 
unfortunate animal that happened to be within its reach. 
A Grison that belonged to Mr. Bell contrived to get out of a cage in which it had 
been placed, and to attack a young alligator that had been brought into the same chamber. 
The alligators were, as the above-mentioned author quaintly remarks, “ stupidly tame, and 
had, on a certain evening, been laid before a fire in order to rejoice in the welcome heat. 
In the morning, when their owner entered the room, he found that the Grison had made 
its escape, and had attacked one of the alligators with such savage fury that it had torn a 
considerable hole under one of the fore- legs, just where the large nerves and blood-vessels 
run, and had inflicted so terrible an injury that the poor creature died from the effects of 
its wound. The other alligator, although unhwt, was ina strongly excited state, snapping 
angrily at every one who approached it.” 
Another Grison, that was domesticated by M. F. Cuvier, committed a similarly fatal 
assault on a rather valuable animal. Although it was always well supplied with food, it 
became so excited at the presence of a lemur, that it broke the bars of its cage, and 
inflicted a mortal injury on the poor animal which had so unexpectedly called forth the 
innate ferocity of its character. 
Yet this animal was remarkable for its docility and gentle playfulness, and was 
always ready for a game with any one who would ‘spend a few minutes in the mock 
combats in which it delighted. The play of all wild-natured animals is a mock fight, 
and is often rather prone to become a real battle, if their combative nature be too much 
excited. The Grison would, when challenged to play, turn on its back, seize the fingers 
of its human playfellow between its jaws, hold them to its mouth, and press them gently 
BB 2 
