180 MTJSTELADJE. 



The head is broad and flat ; the muzzle very broad ; 

 the upper lip thick, and hanging over the lower, which 

 it partly conceals ; whiskers very thick and strong ; eyes 

 situated an inch behind the nostrils, small, black, the 

 cornea remarkably prominent ; ears short and rounded ; 

 body very long and low; legs short; feet palmate, the 

 toes being furnished with a perfect and strong inter- 

 digital web, and with short claws, which are somewhat 

 turned up, though not retractile. Tail little more than 

 half as long as the body arid head together, very broad 

 and strong at the base, and flattened horizontally : two 

 small glands, secreting a fetid liquid, under the tail. 



The fur consists of two distinct and very different 

 kinds of hair ; the shorter being extremely fine and soft, 

 of a whitish grey colour, and brown at the tips ; the 

 longer hair stiffer and thicker, very shining, greyish at 

 the base, bright rich brown at the points, especially on 

 the upper parts and the outer surface of the legs ; the 

 throat, the cheeks, the breast, belly, and inner parts of 

 the legs, brownish grey throughout. 



Dimensions of a specimen from Sutherlandshire : 



Feet. In. Lines. 

 Length of the head and body . . . .216 



,, of the head 4 10 



,, of the ears . .',.-, . .008 

 ,, of the tail . / . . , .? 1 4 



The specimen taken in the Warwickshire Avon, to 

 which we have alluded, and which weighed 14 Ibs., had 

 the following dimensions : 



Feet. In. Lines. 



Length of the head and body . . . .249 



,, of the head. . . . .' 5 6 



,, of the ears . . . . .".006 



of the tail . 130 



