108 ANIMALS OF THE 



of America, where it has the name of the Carca- 

 jou. Amidst the variety of descriptions which 

 have been given of it, no very just idea can be 

 formed of its figure ; and indeed some naturalists, 

 among whom was Ray, entirely doubted of its 

 existence. From the best accounts, however, we 

 have of it, the body is thick and long, the legs 

 short ; it is black along the back, and of a red- 

 dish-brown on the sides; its fur is held in the 

 highest estimation, for its softness and beautiful 

 gloss ; the tail is bushy, like that of the weasel, 

 but rather shorter ; and its legs and claws are 

 better fitted for climbing trees, than for running 

 along the ground. Thus far it entirely resembles 

 the weasel ; and its manner of taking its prey is 

 also by surprise, and not by pursuit. 



Scarcely any of the animals with short legs and 

 long bodies pursue their prey ; but, knowing their 

 own incapacity to overtake it by swiftness, either 

 creep upon it in its retreats, or wait in ambush, 

 and seize it with a bound. The glutton, from 

 the make of its legs, and the length of its body, 

 must be particularly slow; and, consequently, 

 its only resource is in taking its prey by surprise. 

 All the rest of the weasel kind, from the small- 

 ness of their size, are better fitted for a life of in- 

 sidious rapine than this ; they can pursue their 

 prey into its retreats, they can lurk unseen among 

 the branches of trees, and hide themselves with 

 ease under the leaves ; but the glutton is too 

 large to follow small prey into their retreats ; 

 nor would such, even if obtained, be sufficient to 

 sustain it. For these reasons, therefore, this ani- 



