FAMILY. 



MUSTELIDAE. 



PAM. Cn. Carnivore, with a single tubercular molar tooth only, on either side of each jaw ; the Rectorial premolar of typical 

 hape. Feet five-toed ; plantigrade or digiligradc. Coecum wanting. 



The preceding diagnosis, taken from Wagner, expresses in few words the characters of a group 

 of the Carnivora with numerous representatives in America. Most species are of small size, 

 the weasels especially the smallest of true carnivora while others, as the badgers, gluttons, 

 &c., attain very respectable dimensions. The feet vary in character, sometimes naked, at others 

 hairy, with or without naked pads. The nature of the soles, according to Wagner, is however, 

 no indication as to whether the animal is digitigrade or plantigrade ; those of the former char 

 acter having them sometimes naked, and of the latter, hairy. 



The food of the Mustelidae varies much in its nature, the species of different groups being 

 sometimes purely carnivorous, at others omnivorous. In the absence of a coecum, they approach 

 the bears. Most species have anal glands, which secrete a foetid liquid, which, in the American 

 skunks, reaches the maximum of offensiveness. 



The Musttlidae are usually divided into four sections, although Burmeister refers them all to 

 three, having the following characters : 



1. Ifartinae. With a small, short, and decidedly transversely elongated posterior molar in the 

 upper jaw, and an unequal number of molars, generally, in the two jaws. (Martens, weasels.) 



2. Lutrinae. With a large quadrate posterior upper molar ; the number of molars in the 

 two jaws equal. (Otters.) 



3. Melinae. With a large quadrate posterior upper molar ; the number of molars in the two 

 jaws unequal, as in ihe Martinae. (Badgers and skunks.) 



Wagner constructs a fourth group of Mellivorae, to include Eatellus and Galictis. Burmeister, 

 however, places both among the Martinae, although the former genus is aberrant in having the 

 number of molars the same in both jaws, through the deficiency of one lower true molar, leaving 

 but a single true molar above and below. " With the exception of Ratellus, then, all the Mus 

 telidae have one true molar on each side above, and two below. The upper true molar is sup 

 ported by one inner and sometimes by one, (Putorius, Gulo,) sometimes two, (Mustela, Lutra, 

 Mephitis,) outer fangs. The second true molar below, is also tubercular, but has a single fang." 

 (Owen.) 



SUB-FAMILY MARTINAE. 



Upper true molar short, transversely elongated ; molars unequal in number in the two jaws. Soles generally hairy ; the 

 walk more or less plantigrade. 



In this sub-family are included many animals peculiar to North America, and for the most 

 part inhabiting the higher latitudes ; a few species, however, occur in the warmer regions of 

 the continent. The genera with which we have here to do are Mustela, Putorius, and Gulo, the 

 second one susceptible of several subdivisions. 



