38 MAMMALIA CAKNTVORA DIAGRAM 3 



eggs and poultry. They are consequently hunted. The pine- 

 marten is known by its yellow throat, and the beech-marten by 

 its white one. Their back is yellowish-brown, and they yield a 

 valuable fur. 



Otters live on fish, and are, so far, mischievous animals, but 

 on the other hand, they yield a highly valuable fur. The otter 

 is not very active on land, but when it swims it displays, so much 

 ease and agility that it is easy to see that fish cannot escape 

 from it. Nevertheless, as it is a mammal which is obliged to 

 breathe air, it is often obliged to return to the surface, and cannot 

 remain long under water. Otters are often found which have 

 been drowned in attempting to enter the weirs in search of fish, 

 and have not been able to get out. 



The civet is an animal found in North Africa, larger than the 

 otter, and somewhat resembling a cat in appearance. The civet 

 is hunted for the sake of an odoriferous substance, which is 

 found in a kind of pouch situated near the tail. 



THE OATS. The family of cats in- 

 cludes the lion, the tiger, the panther, 

 and the lynx, which altogether resemble 

 our domestic cat, except in size. They 

 are all armed with the best teeth for 

 Cat's claw. tearing flesh, claws which retreat into 



the toes so that they cannot be blunted, and pads under the feet, 

 which allow them to walk as noiselessly as robbers when 

 approaching their prey. 



The domestic cat is derived from the wild cat, which is found 

 in the woods. The position which it occupies in the house is 

 not quite the same as that of the dog. The dog never leaves it, 

 even when he is not very well treated. The cat is more particu- 

 lar and more independent. It seems to have made a bargain 

 with the master of the house, in which each is pledged to some- 

 thing. The cat must be fed, have a place near the fire, and full 

 liberty to come and go, on condition of destroying the rats and 

 mice in the house. If she is badly treated she runs away. The 



