IK Tl Kl III. 85 



at pleasure \uthdrawn into ;i kind of sh< ; uhs 

 when not in use. 



Tin- MIC< < -dim: genu^ COnt it many 



speci. v, comprehending all tin- annuals of the 

 Wea.M -I kind. Ijim:rus indeed in 

 parate genera for these animals, on account of 

 iin dillerem -t - observable in the di>p<^it ion of 

 the tt < th; luit, in a general \ic\v, tht-y m:iy all lx- 

 ( oii-^idcred as furnishm -nus or 



assortment, under the till- .crra. Tin 



il rhara> tlie \\'e.i->el trilte is a certain 



hlenderiK ss and length of l>ody, \vith a sharpened 

 visage, short legs, and, in most sj loutish 



tail; ,r-r n is xhort in but a few.) The front teeth 

 are six in number: with the middle ones shorter 

 than the re 



To the Wea>el tribe belongs the celebrated 

 animal called the Iclmuemon, which was so 

 highly si,-,.|n.-<| by the ancient Egyptians on ac- 

 count of it^ utility in destroying serpents 

 and other noxious animals. It has a general re- 

 very large ferret, but i> of a brow n- 



* The animal known by the name of the Polecat, (Mustela 

 Potorius, Lin.) may serve to give some idea of the general op- 

 pcarance of the animals of this gemu. 



