MAMMALS 401 



others feed on fruit, and are sometimes very 

 destructive in tropical countries. The vampire 

 bats of Central and South America are blood- 

 suckers, and have a peculiar tubular stomach, 

 adapted for the digestion of blood. 

 (c) Carnivora. The carnivores, with sharp teeth Carnivores, 



and claws. The principal families are : 

 (i) Felid<2. Lions, tigers, cats, and their rela- 

 tives. The largest American species are 

 the mountain lion (or puma) and the 

 jaguar; the latter beautifully spotted, and 

 confined to the tropical and subtropical 

 regions. , 



(ii) Hy<znid<%. Hyenas, belonging to the Ethio- 

 pian and Oriental regions. 



(iii) Fiverridce. Mongooses, civets, etc. The 

 mongoose was introduced from the Old 

 World into Jamaica to destroy the rats, 

 which were seriously injuring the sugar 

 cane. This it did, but it then turned its 

 attention to the native birds. The de- 

 struction of the birds is supposed to have 

 led to the great increase of ticks in recent 

 years, though it is proper to state that the 

 ticks were doubtless mostly or all intro- 

 duced by man. The case of the mon- 

 goose in Jamaica is therefore cited as an 

 illustration of the danger of disturbing 

 the "balance of nature." 



(iv) Mustelidcz.- Martins, weasels, wolverines, 

 badgers, skunks, and otters. The skunk, 

 with its handsome black and white fur, 

 illustrates the theory of warning colora- 

 tion. 



