226 ON THE STRUCTURE OF HAIRS. 



In the smaller hairs of the animals belonging to the feline tribe, 

 nearly the same regularity of formation and disposition of cells in the 

 interior is observable ; but this regularity is not preserved in the larger 

 ones, as it is for the most part in those of the Rodents. Indeed, the 

 cells appear to become obliterated in most of the larger hairs, as in fig. 

 16. The cells, also, in this tribe, as in the Canine, assume more or less 

 of an angular form, and do not appear to be exclusively the seat of the 

 colour, as in the former class. Whether, in fact, the cells in these hairs 

 do really contain colouring matter, I have not positively ascertained. 

 In the smaller hairs of the Viverrine tribe, the same regularity of form 

 and arrangement of cells obtain ; they are, however, usually empty, 

 and in the larger hairs, they coalesce into an irregular cellular texture, 

 as in figs. 4, 9, 13, 22 ; but in the sable, one of this tribe, they retain a 

 more regular arrangement, but still less so than is the case in the larger 

 hairs of Rodents. In this tribe, also, the whole of the colour is not ex- 

 clusively confined to the cells, but pervades the horny tissue of the 

 hair, as may be seen in the black hair of the tail of the ermine. A 

 striking difference between these hairs of the Carnivora above men- 

 tioned, which have distinct cells, and in this respect resemble the hairs 

 of Rodents, and those of the latter class, exists in the circumstance of 

 the former having the surface covered with regularly imbricated scales, 

 very strongly marked, as seen in figs. 4, 9, 17. In the larger hairs, 

 however, in which also the internal cells are irregular or deficient, the 

 scaliness on the surface no longer retains, in all cases its regularity and 

 distinctness, as in figs. 6. 13, 16, 23. 



The hair of the mole, the only insectivorous quadruped I have yet 

 figured, has the distinct, regularly- arranged colour cells of the Rodent, 

 but which, even in the larger hairs, are still in a single series, their 

 width increasing in proportion to that of the hair, from side to side of 

 which they always reach, and are not multiplied as in the latter. 



The hair of this animal is also peculiarly characterised by the unila- 

 teral, toothed appearance, owing to the projection on one side only of 

 the hair of the surface scales. 



(To be continued.) 



