CHAPTER XIV. 



THE WEASELS, OTTERS AND SKUNKS. 



TUB MARTKNS — TUP, SABLE— TIIK AMKRICAN SAllMt— Till'. III.ACK CAT — TUB I'OM'.rAT — TUB 

 EltMlNB — TIIK NEW YOKK KRMINE — TIIK I'KKKUTS — THE MINK — IIIK WKASI'.I.S — THE WOI,- 

 VKKI'.NK — THE OTTI'.KS — I'mC CANADA OTTICR— TIIIC CALIFORNIA OllKR — HIE SUA Dl'll'.R — TIIK 

 IIRA/.II.IAN OTTER — ITIK CIIINKSK OirHR— THE IIADCI'.RS— I 111'. AMI'RICAN IIADOI'.R — THE 

 TKIl'.DU— THE RATKI. -THE SKUNKS — THE ZOKILI.A— ITIK SIIKII.IIO— ITIK COMMON SKUNK — 

 THE NYENTEK. 



TIIR family of the MiiSTKl.inyn: may be divided conveniently into 

 tiircc sub-fainilics, tiic MusTKLlN.l':, containing the Weasels and 

 CJluttons, the LtJ'iKlN/K, containinjj^ the Otters, and the Mi:i,l 

 NIN/TJ, containinff the IJadgcrs and Skunks. The family compri.ses 

 twcnty-cif^lit fjenera and ninety-two species, of which we shall nientior 

 the most interesting. 



THE MARTENS. 



The hifrhest i)osilIon !n this siili-family is held by the Martens, sicn. 

 der, short-lcfTf^ed animals with a pointed head, round ears, and moderate 

 size. 13y many writers the genera Martcs and Mustela arc united into one. 



GENUS MARTES. 



This genus, comprising the Martens proper, is distinguished by pos- 

 sessing thirty-eight teeth. The two species ff)und in the TJuitcd States 

 are i>laced by Haird in the Mustelic. 



The I'iNii Marten, Martcs abictttm (i'latc XIX), is a very pretty 

 active creature, with a body measuring eighteen inches to two feet, and 

 a tail about f)ne foot in length. In luiro|)e it is found in .Scandinavia, 

 Russia, F-lngland, Germany, 1'' ranee, Italy, and Sjjuin ; and in Asia, as far 

 as the Altai Mountains. The largest specimens dwell in Sweden, and 



