390 GEOGRAPHICAL AXD GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



comprise the raccoons (Procyon), from most parts of North and 

 South America; the coatis (Nasua), Mexico to Paraguay; kinkajou 

 (Cercoleptes), Mexico to Peru and Brazil; and the bassarids (Bas- 

 saris), from the warmer regions of the United States and Mexico. 

 The family, as represented in the genus Procyon, dates from the 

 Pliocene period. 



The Mustelida3, whose numerous representatives are spread over 

 the greater part of all the continental areas with the exception of 

 the Australian, comprise among better-known forms: Lutra, the 

 otters, whose range embraces nearly the whole of the continents of 

 Eurasia and North America, with parts of South America and 

 Africa; Enhydris, the North Pacific sea- otter (California Japan); 

 Nutria, the South American west coast sea-otter (California to 

 Chiloe) ; Meles, the true badger ("North Europe to Japan and China) ; 

 Taxidea, American badger ; Mellivora, the African and Indian 

 ratels ; Mephitis, the skunk, whose range comprises the entire tract 

 included between Canada and the Strait of Magellan ; Ictonyx, the 

 African zorilla; Mustela, the martens, boreal forms of both the 

 Eastern and Western Hemispheres ; * Putorius, the weasels, which 

 are distributed over the greater part of the Northern Hemisphere, 

 and enter into tropical Africa and South America; and Gulo, the 

 wolverine or glutton, whose habitat in America extends from about 

 the fortieth to the seventy-fifth parallel (Melville Island), and in 

 Eurasia from Lithuania to Kamtchatka and the Arctic tundras. 

 In the martens are included the Asiatic sable (Mustela zibellina) 

 and the American sable (M. Americana), the range of the latter ex- 

 tending over the greater part of the American continent north of 

 the fortieth or forty-fifth parallel of latitude. Other well-known 

 forms are the Eurasiatic pine-marten (M. martes), and the pekan 

 or fisher (M. Pennanti), which is still extensively distributed over 

 the American continent north of the fortieth parallel of latitude. 

 Of the weasels proper (Putorius) the true or common weasel (P. 

 vulgaris) and ermine (P. erminea) are held in common by the 

 northern regions of Europe, Asia, and America, the true ferret or 

 polecat (P. fcetid'is) is Eurasiatic, and the mink, comprising the 

 two species, P. lutreola and P. vison, both Eurasiatic and American. 



The total number of fossil forms referable to the Mustelidse is 



* Martes flavigula, the Indian marten, is distributed from the southern 

 slopes of the Himalayas to Ceylon and Java. 



