18 



CLASS-MAMMALIA. 



ORDER-S AKCOPHAGA. 



Nest of Mygale. 



MTGALE the Desman. These animals lead an aquatic life. The form 

 of their skull rather approaches that of the Moles than the Shrews, in not 

 terminating so pointedly ; the 'nasal bones are much elongated, and the 

 gristly part of the nose so much lengthened as to resemble a trunk, and 

 is as moveable as that of the Elephant. 



They prefer pools, lakes, and other quiet waters, in the banks of which 

 they form a burrow, the entrance from which is below the surface of the 

 water, and immediately after they work 

 slightly upwards, and form numerous wind- 

 ings to the extent of five or seven feet, so 

 that only part of their habitation is under 

 water : here they live either solitarily, or in 

 pairs, according to the season. They never 

 come to the surface of the water, except 

 at pairing time, when they grow bold, 

 sport upon the banks, and amuse them- 

 selves in scrambling among the rushes. 

 They are thought to feed on the roots of 

 the Nymphcea and on sweet rush, but 

 Pallas never found anything in their stomach except the remains of larvaa 

 and worms. As they do not become torpid in the winter, they are much 

 inconvenienced by the freezing of the water, and if there be any small aper- 

 tures in the ice many may be seen anxiously striving to find room to 

 breathe ; if they cannot do this, they have only the air in their burrows to 

 consume, and are soon suffocated. They possess a strong musky odour 

 to such extent, indeed, as to flavour those Pikes and Silures which prey on 

 them. 



One species the Mushy Shrew or Russian Desman (M. Moscovitica) 

 is eight inches long from the snout to the root of the tail, and the tail is 

 six inches and three quarters. It 

 is found in the Volga, and in the 

 neighbouring lakes from Novo- 

 gorod to Saratof. Its fur is con- 

 sidered valuable, as, like that of 

 the Beaver, it consists of long 

 hairs, with a fine down at the 

 roots. They are very common near Nisney Novogorod, and sold at the 

 rate of a rouble a hundred. The skins are put into chests amongst 

 clothes to preserve them from moth, and they are supposed to protect the 

 wearers from infection. 



The Pyrenean Desman (M. Pyrenaica) is four inches long, tail four and 

 a half. It was discovered by M. Desrouias, in the neighbourhood of 

 Tarbes, at the foot of the Pyrenees. 



SCALOPS the Shrew-Mole. This genus was formed by Cuvier upon the 

 individual described by Pennant by the name Brown Mole. The animals to 

 which the Shrew-Moles have the nearest affinity in the form and dispo- 

 sition of their teeth is the genus Mygale, but the latter are distinguished by 

 having a greater number of false molar teeth. 



The number of teeth assigned to the genus Scabps is variously stated by 

 different systematic writers. Destnarest only enumerates thirty in both 

 jaws ; F. Cuvier and Godman speak of thirty-six ; Harlan of forty, and 

 Richardson of forty-four. This seeming difference, however, may be easily 

 reconciled by the well-known fact that the false molars which occupy the 

 place of the cuspid and anterior molars fall out early and at irregular 

 periods, and thus cause the gaps which have been noticed by some writers 

 as characteristics of the genus. 



The eyes of this genus are extremely minute, and can scarcely be seen 

 without a good glass. They are entirely hidden by the fur, which, when 

 turned aside, leaves a bare space about as large as a moderate-sized pin's 

 head ; in the centre of this is seen a small black speck, shown by the mi- 

 croscope to consist of a number of hairs ranged in a semi-elliptical form, 

 and enclosing an aperture in the skin large enough to admit a fine horse- 

 hair. This is the aperture of the eyelids, and behind it is the globe of the 

 eye, not so large as a mustard seed. The vision of the animal must there- 



Desman. 



fore be limited, as the focal distance of such an eye must necessarily be- 

 very short. 



The Shrew-Mole (S. Canadensis) measures from the tip of the muz/.l.- to 

 the root of the tail five inches, the tail itself one inch long. When at rest 

 it more nearly resembles in shape a stuffed bag than a livint: animal, its 

 head being extended nearly to a point, without any auricles, and the eyes 

 so small and completely covered with fur as to escape notice. It is COM ml 

 with a soft, close-set, glossy fur, half an inch long, of a uniform bright 

 leaden colour, with silvery glossings when viewed in front, but of a darker 

 hue, with purplish reflexions when observed from behind a variation 

 depending on the incidence of the light. The Shrew-Mole is very common 

 in America between Canada and Virginia; Dr. Richardson considers it 

 does not exist on the east side of the Rocky Mountains higher than 50 

 north latitude, but thinks it may be found higher up on the milder coast 

 of the Pacific. It is generally supposed that they, as well as Moles, do 

 much damage to the roots of grass and succulent vegetables ; but it is 

 probable that the benefit derived from their incessant pursuit ami destruc- 

 tion of slugs, worms, and insects, which are injurious to vegetation, is iiir 

 greater than the damage they cause by disturbing the earth about the roots 

 of herbage. 



The strength of the Shrew-Mole far exceeds that which might be ex- 

 pected in so small an animal ; Godman mentions that one which he 

 possessed, after escaping from the basket in which it was confined, hurried 

 round the room, and when impeded by the legs of the heavy chairs did not 

 turn aside, but wedging itself between the chair and the wall thrust it oft' 

 without much apparent effort till it made a free thoroughfare, and finally 

 hid itself behind a large pile of quarto books more than two feet high, 

 which it also moved away from the wall. 



They are tamed without much difficulty, and are observed to pass the 

 greater part of the day in sleep, but at night are very active ; they do not 

 appear to see in any light, as they uniformly run their nose against every 

 obstacle several times before learning to avoid those which were permanent. 

 When tamed, they may be kept in boxes of loose earth with dried grass 

 for their bed ; eat freely of fresh meat, either cooked or raw, drink freely, 

 and follow the hand of their feeder by scent. They eat in a peculiar manner, 

 doubling the flexible snout so as to thrust the food directly backwards into 

 the mouth, and often after receiving anything burrow that they may eat it 

 undisturbed. 



Family. SOLE-TREADERS ; Plantigrada. 



So called because in walking they tread with the whole sole of the foot. 

 The appellation is derived from the Latin planta, " the sole of the foot," 

 andgradus, "a step." 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



PLATE 5. 

 Genera. Specie*. Common Name. 



Ursus ----- Maritimus ----- Polar Bear. 



Procyon ----- Lotor ------- Raccoon. 



Nasua ----- Fuses Brown Coati. 



Gulo ------ Americanus ----- Wolverine. 



Other Genera of this Family : Meles, Mellivorus. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. URSUS (Lat. a he Bear). Head somewhat 1 , cylindrical ; muzzle pro- 

 jecting; snout broad, and, together with the lips, more or less projectile ; 

 tongue long and soft ; incisive teeth in each jaw six, the outer upper ones 

 stronger and more pointed ; cuspid strong and conical ; molar teeth four 

 to six in the upper, and four to seven in the lower jaw ; of these from <>nr 

 to three in the upper, and from one to four in the lower jaw, small, 

 spurious, and deciduous; the next tooth on each side in . >adi jaw a true 

 sectorial molar, and behind these two very large tubercular teeth of a 

 squarish form ; ears of moderate size, and rounded ; body bulky, fat, and 

 more or less furred with down at the roots ; feet plantigrade, with five 



