84 African Zoology. 



sliglitly varied with white, from some of the I.airs beino^ partly 

 of that colour ; eyes a bright and lively red. Length from 

 nose to base of tail fourteen inches and a half. 



Inhabits North Africa. — Domesticated in Eifope. 



Mustela Furo, Lin. Syst. Nat. 1. Le Furet, BufF. vii. 

 The Ferret, Penn. Quad. 2\A. 



Many Naturalists consider the Ferret as merely a variety of the 

 Putorious vulgaris, or Polecat. 



Putorius Africanus, Desm. (African Weasel.) Body above 

 reddish brown ; beneath pale yellow with a narrow longitiidinal 

 reddish brown band along the centre of tlie belly. Length of 

 the body and head ten inches, of the tail seven inches. 



Inhabits Africa. 



Mustela Africana, Desm. Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. xix. 370. 



Putorius Zorilla. (Cape Weasel.) Black with four, more or 

 less waved, white bands on the back, which extend from the 

 hind-head to near the base of the tail ; a white spot on the 

 centre of the face and one on each cheek ; the ears also mar- 

 gined with white. Tail bushy and variegated black and white ; 

 some of the hairs entirely white, others partly black and partly 

 white ; claws light horn-coloured. Length from nose to base 

 of tail twelve inches, of tail nearly nine inches. 



Inhabits South Africa. 



Viverra Zorilla, Gra. Srjst.Nat. 1. Putois du Cap ou ZorcillCj 

 Pufif. xiii. Striped Muishond of the Cape Colonists. 



Genus Lutra. May. 



Incisors g, canines \ \, molars il or eh — 36 or 38. The lower 

 great carnivorous tooth with two points on its outer side ; head 

 large and fattened; ears short; body long ; legs short; toes 

 webbed ; nails crooked ; tail long, flattened horizontally. 



Lutra inunguis. F. Cuvier. (Cape Otter,) Woolly hairs* 

 white at their bases and brown at their tips ; bristly hair short, 

 and covering the others. The muzzle, in front of the eyes, the 

 tipper parts of the head and neck, the back and sides, yellowish 

 brown ; the tail and extremities dark reddish brown ; the 

 head and neck finely freckled with dull white ; nose black and 

 bare ; the muzzle close to the nose ; the lips, sides of head, chin, 

 throat, and lower parts of neck white ; margins of lips and chin 

 with a dirty brownish tint ; whiskers white towards their bases, 

 amber coloured towards tips ; ears pointed, and covered on both 

 surface with short dark brown hair, more or less of their circum- 



* Visible upon separating the bristly hairs. 



I 



