ZORILLAi 391 



Chinche, or V. Mephitica, but is of a black co- 

 lour with a changeable cast of blue, and has along 

 the back a row of round white spots, reaching 

 from head to tail : the head is long, the ears large, 

 well covered with hair, and pendulous : the hind 

 legs longer than the fore. It is a native of Chili. 

 It generally carries its head low, its back arched, 

 and its tail, which is very bushy, spead over its 

 back like that of a Squirrel. In its manners and 

 vapour it is said to agree with those before de- 

 scribed. Molina affirms that the smell proceeds 

 from a certain greenish oil, ejected from a follicle 

 or receptacle near the tail. The Indians are said 

 to value the skin of this species on account of its 

 beauty, and to use it for various purposes, quilts, 

 &,(:. &c. 



ZORILLA. 



Vivcrra Zorilla. V. albo nigroque varia. Lin. Syst. Nat t 



Gmel. p. 88. 



W. variegated with black and white. 

 Zorilla, Bujf. 13. p. 289. pi. 41. 



THIS species is smaller than the three preced- 

 ing, and is a native of Peru and other parts of 

 South America. The ground-colour is black, 

 upon which are three longitudinal white bands, 

 extending from the head to the middle of the 

 back, and other transverse white bands on the 

 flanks, the rump, and the origin of the tail> which 

 is black as far as the middle, and then white to 



