DISTRIBUTION OF THE ORDER CARNIVORA 249 



are found only in the New World and mainly in the 

 Neotropical Region, though as many as four species come 

 within the limits of the. Nearctic Region. The true 

 Raccoons (Procyon) have a representative in each of the 

 two Regions, while the Coatis (Nasua) and the Kinkajou 

 (Cercoleptes) just come within the boundaries of the 

 Nearctic Region from the south, and Bassariscus is re- 

 stricted to Central America. 



In the last family of terrestrial Carnivora belonging to the 

 Arctoid division, we find a much more numerous group, 

 the Mustelidie, or Weasels, embracing about seventeen 

 genera, represented by upwards of eighty different species. 

 On the whole it may be said that the Mustelid.se> are most 

 abundant in the Nearctic, Palsearctic, and Oriental Regions, 

 and less well represented in the Ethiopian and Neotropical 

 Regions, while, like the rest of the Carnivores, except Canis, 

 they are wholly absent in Australia. The eleven known 

 Neotropical Mustelidss belong to five genera, three of which 

 are peculiar to this Region, while the two others, the Otters 

 (Lutra) and the Weasels (Mustela), are both wide-ranging 

 forms met with also in the Nearctic Region and broadly 

 diffused in the Old World. It may be remarked, however, 

 that Weasels (Mustela) do not occur in the Ethiopian 

 Region, where, however, the Otters (Lutra) are repre- 

 sented by two species. The Nearctic Region is tenanted 

 by several well-marked forms of the Musteline group, 

 amongst which we may specify the Sea Otter (Latax), the 

 Skunks (Mephitis and Spilogale), and the Glutton (Gulo); 

 the last-mentioned type, however, being likewise found 

 in the Palsearctic Region. 



