, 222 



(Err aurn of 



$?tstnrj) ; 



! into two very distinct types of form : the 



i one, the Asses and the Zebras, which are al- 



; ways whitish and more or less banded with 



I blackish-brown, and always have a distinct 



| dorsal line, the tail only bristly at the end, 



and have warts only on the arms and none 



on the hind legs ; and the true Horses, 



which are not banded, have no dorsal line, 



are furnished with warts on their arms and 



legs, and have long hair on the tail, from its 



insertion to its extremity." Of these species 



the Horse is by far the most valuable, as 



well as the most widely distributed over the 



globe. Dental character of this genus : 



six incisors in the front of both the upper and 



lower jaws, one canine or tusk, and six 



molars or grinders, on each side of both 



jaws i in all forty. [See HOUSE.] 



ERINACEUS. [See HEDGEHOG.] 

 ERIOMYS. [See CHINCHILLA.] 



ERIPIIIA. A genus of Decapod short- 

 tailed Crustacea, of which there are several 

 species ; one of which, E. spinifrons, is com- 



RA.) 



mon in the Mediterranean. The E. gonayra 

 is a fine species, with tuberculated fore-legs, 

 found in Brazil. In the Indian Ocean other 

 species are found. 



ERMINE. (Mustela erminea.) This little 

 digitigrade animal, wliich is also called the 

 STOAT, resembles in its general appearance 

 the Weasel, but is considerably larger, the 

 Ermine measuring ten inches in length, in- 

 dependent of the tail, whereas the Weasel 

 seldom exceeds six. The colour of the 

 Stoat is a reddish- brown above, white 

 beneath, the tip of the tail being constantly 

 black, whatever may be the cast of colour 

 on the body ; for the Stoat, in the northern 

 regions, becomes milk-white during the 

 winter, in which state it is known as the 

 Ermine : we may therefore properly say, 

 that an Ermine is a Stoat in its winter dress. 

 Like the Weasel, it lives in hollows under 

 the roots of trees ; in banks near rivulets ; 

 and it preys on birds, poultry, rats, and all 

 kinds of smaller animals, as well as on 

 rabbits, leverets, &c. ; it is also a great de- 

 vourer of eggs. It is an inhabitant both of 

 the northern parts of Europe and of Asia ; 

 and is also found in many parts of North 

 America. Like many other species of this 

 genus, the Ermine has the faculty of ejecting 

 a fluid of a strong musky odour. Its fur 

 is short, soft, and silky ; its pure white 

 winter coat being much longer, thicker, and 

 finer than that of summer. The fur of the 



Ermine is in great request ; it was formerly 

 one of the insignia of ro3'alty, and is still 

 used by the judges. When used as linings 

 of cloaks, &c., the black tuft from the tail 

 is sewed to the skin at regular distances. 



In the neighbourhood of Hudson's Bay, 

 Ermine are very abundant, particularly in 

 the barren grounds and open plains. In 

 Norway and Siberia also their skins are a 

 great article of commerce. During the 

 winter it is extremely difficult to distinguish 

 them, from their colour so closely resembling 

 that of the snow: and they are generally 

 either taken in traps, or shot with blunt 

 arrows. This animal, which in the pursuit 

 of its prey is one of the boldest of its size, is 

 not readily tamed ; but when caught, and 

 kept in a cage, it still exhibits every mark 

 of its ferocious and savage character, by 

 killing or injuring every thing within its 

 reach. 



ERNE. A local name for the Sea Eagle, 

 (Haliceetusa/btcilla) which frequents the sea- 

 shores. It is distinguished from the true 

 Eagles, by the absence of feathers at the 

 lower part of the tarsi. [See EAGLES.] 



ERODY. The name given to a grallato- 

 rial bird (Dramas ardcola) allied to the 

 Trumpeter, and found both in India and 

 Abyssinia. It is swift of foot, and was found 

 by Mr. Suit in Abyssinia during Lord Va- 

 lentia's travels. 



EROTYLUS: EROTYLID^E. A genus 

 and family of Tetramerous Coleoptera, 

 abounding in South America, where they 

 feed generally on fungi. They form the 

 subject of an admirable monograph by M. 

 Lacordairc, who has published a thick 



volume on the numerous species. A few 

 small British species belonging to the genera 

 Triplax and Tritoma are found in this 

 country. Most of the South American 

 species have the maxillary palpi terminat- 

 ing in a large crescent-shaped joint ; the 

 untennae end in a very distinct and perfo- 

 liated mass. 



ERYCINA. A genus of Conchifera, or 

 Bivalves, found in the sand on the shores 

 of New Holland and the Mediterranean. 

 Shell ovate or triangular, transverse, equi- 

 valve, smooth ; hinge with a Hgamcntary 

 pit, two diverging cardinal and two lateral 

 teeth in each valve. There are several 

 fossil, and two recent species. Also the 

 name of a genus of Diurnal Lepidoptera. 



