VERTEBRATA : MAMMALIA. 



745 



ing the banks of streams and lakes. It lives upon fish, and 

 is highly destructive to salmon. A closely-allied form is 

 the American Otter (Lutra Canadensis]. In the Sea- otters 

 (Enhydris) the tail is very short. They are found on both 

 sides of the North Pacific, and yield a very valuable fur, being 

 much more strictly aquatic in their habits than the ordinary 

 Otters. Besides Enhydris, a species of Sea-otter belonging to 

 the genus Nutria is found on the shores of North and South 

 America, ranging from California to Chili. 



The second family of the Semi-plantigrade Carnivores is that 

 of the Viverrida, the Civets and Genettes. They are all of 

 moderate size, with sharp muzzles and long tails, and more or 

 less striped, or banded, or spotted. The dental formula of 

 Viverra is 



I i 

 c - -\ pm 



4 4 



2, 2 



m - - = 40. 

 22 



33 i i 44 



The upper carnassial (the 4th praemolar) and the lower 

 carnassial (the ist molar) have cutting edges (fig. 433) ; while 



Fig. 433. Dentition of the Civet-cat (yiverra civetta). The upper figure shows 

 the upper jaw, the lower figure gives the lower teeth. 



both the upper molars and the last lower molar have tubercu- 

 late crowns. The canines are long, sharp, and pointed. The 

 tongue is roughened by numerous priclcly papillae. The claws 

 are semi-retractile, and the pupils can contract, on exposure to 

 light, till they resemble a mere line. In most of their charac- 



