60 PICTURE OF ORGANIZED NATURE. 



/w), the Black American Lion (F. concolor), and 

 some others, are peculiar to the Torrid Zone. 

 The Lion is a native of Africa and Asia ; but the Ti- 

 ger, of Asia only. Towards the middle of the Tempe- 

 rate Zone, the Genus of these animals diminishes ; 

 the smaller kinds only being there met with. Of 

 all species of the Cats, the Lynx in the Old World (.P. 

 lynx), the Wild Cat (but not numerous), and, accord- 

 ing to Humboldt, the Small Lion on the Andes, are 

 found nearly up to that region which coincides with 

 the 65th degree towards the snow-line. In Kamt- 

 chatka, Greenland, Lapland, and Iceland, there are 

 no Cats; nor does the Lynx, in Europe, extend 

 farther than Norway. 



17. Civets (Viverra), and the Weasel (Mustela), 

 are so closely allied to each other, that they ought 

 to be looked upon, in general, as being of the 

 same Order of animals. The Civets are peculiar 

 to the Torrid, and the warmer half of the Temperate 

 Zones, yet extending beyond the middle, and ap- 

 proaching the colder countries. In Europe there is 

 only one species of Civet ; namely, the Viverra gc- 

 netta : the Polecat {Viverra putorius) inhabits Ame- 

 rica, Canada, and Virginia. According to Hum- 

 boldt, the Viverra mapurito is found on the Andes, 

 at an altitude of 9840 feet. We may therefore 



