ORDERS OF 



FER^E*. 



Seals , Dogs, Cats, Weesels, Otters, Bears, Moles, Shrews, 

 and Urchins. 



Some of these animals are carnivorous, and others subsist 

 principally on fruit, roots, and herbs. The former have, 

 in each jaw, six front-teeth or incisors. Their canine-teeth 

 are in general strong, and, in some of the species, of such 

 size as to resemble tusks. The grinders are, for the most 

 part, armed with sharp and cutting prominences on their 

 upper surface. Several of the species, as Cats, Lions, 

 Tigers, and Lynxes, have sharp and hooked claws. 



The Seals differ very essentially from other animals of 

 this order, in being amphibious, and passing the greater 

 part of their life in the sea, where they live chiefly upon 

 fish. Their bodies are elongated, broad at the shoulders, 

 and gradually taper, till they terminate almost in a point 

 behind. The toes are connected by strong membranes, so 

 as to have much the appearance of fins. 



Moles, Shrews, and Urchins, are not carnivorous; nor, 

 in any other respect, rapacious animals. These, and the 

 Bears, are peculiar in applying the whole sole of their feet 

 to the ground in walking, and not, as in most other quadru* 

 peds, treading upon the toes only. 



In all the species, except the Urchins, the bodies of the 

 animals are covered only with hair; but these have, on 

 their head and back, sharp and strong spines, intermixed 

 with bristles. The hair of the Moles and Shrews is par- 



* None of the animals of the second Linnean Order, BRUT A, are 

 native inhabitants of our islands. 



The 



