CARNIVORA. 89 



around the North Pole, in Europe and Asia, as well as America. 

 The skins furnished by Wolverines, do not compensate for their 

 destructive habits. The fur resembles that of a bear, and is 

 much used for muffs, and when. several skins are sewed together, 

 makes a beautiful sleigh robe. In Kamtschatka, the women 

 dress their hair with the white paws of this animal, which they 

 esteem a great ornament. 



G. vittatus, (Lat. from vitta, a band or fillet,) the GRISON. A 

 white line or band passes on each side of the front to the shoulders. 

 They are most numerous in Guiana and Paraguay. 



G. or Ratellus mellivorus, (Lat. mel, honey, voro, to devour.) 

 The RATEL of the Cape of Good Hope, in general characters, cor- 

 responds with the glutton; in size is about equal to the badger. 

 The color is of a dull ash gray, but whitest towards the head. It 

 is said to feed principally upon the honey of bees, which inhabit 

 the deserted lairs and burrows of the Ethiopian boar, the porcu- 

 pine, etc. 



Ailurus Julgens, (Lat. shining,) the PANDA, or WAH, is found 

 in the Himalaya chain of mountains, between Nepaul and the 

 Snowy mountains. Cuvier declared this to be one of the most 

 beautiful of quadrupeds, and included it in the Bear tribe. In 

 the arrangement and form of the teeth, it shows some resemblance 

 to the Nasua and Procyon. It is about the size of a large cat ; 

 the soft and thickly set fur is above, of the richest cinnamon red, 

 behind more fulvous, and beneath, deep black, while the head is 

 whitish, and the tail whitish, annulated with brown. Its loud cry 

 resembles the word wah, whence its name. " This elegant animal 

 frequents the vicinity of rivers and mountain torrents, passes 

 much of its time on trees, and feeds upon birds and the smaller 

 quadrupeds." The generic name is from the Gr. ailouros, a cat. 



To what animals is the name PLANTIGRADES given ? What is the derivation 

 of the word ? What their movements and habits ? When and where are they 

 in a lethargic state ? From what is the family name URSIDAE derived ? To 

 what animals are the bears a connecting link ? What is said of their gait ? 

 What use do they make of their fore paws? Describe their claws. To 

 what kind of food are their teeth adapted ? Where are the genera of this 

 family found? According to Audubon, how many species of the genus 

 TTRSUS have been described? Give their locations. Describe the bear. 

 What is said of the number and kind of their teeth ? Which of the carniv- 

 orous animals is most omnivorous ? Do any bears subsist on vegetable food 

 alone ? What are their habits ? What is their condition in the winter ? 

 In what part of the world are they seldom met ? What use is made of 

 their skins ? Where is the common bear found ? Is it now met with in 

 Great Britain? What was the only species known to Linnaeus? What 

 does it furnish the people of Kamtschatka ? What do the Laplanders call it ? 

 Why ? What do the Norwegians say pf it ? What is said respecting its 



