22 



CLASS MAMMALIA. 



ORDER S ARCOPHAGA. 



large ; molar in the upper jaw on each side four or five, of which the anterior 

 two or three are sectorial and slightly conical, the last but one the lar^i-st, 

 sectorial, tricuspid on the outer edge, and on the inner having a little dis- 

 tinct tubercle ; the last a transverse, tubercular grinder ; in the lower jaw 

 five or six, the first small and deciduous, the following two or three sectorial 

 and conoid, the last but one the largest, sectorial, and tricuspid, the last 

 point being very little elevated and increased by a little posterior process, 

 the last a small, circular, tubercular grinder. 



2. MEPHITIS. Incisive teeth six above and the same number below, of 

 the latter the second on each side placed rather behind the others ; cuspid 

 long, conical, and apart ; molar, four above, the first two or false molar 

 conical and compressed, the third or carnivorous tooth widened on its inner 

 edge by a tubercle, the fourth, or tubercular, square, arid having four tuber- 

 cles on its crown ; five below, the first three conical and compressed, the 

 fourth, or carnivorous, increased on the inner edge by two tubercles, the fifth 

 small ; snout shorter than the skull ; ears small and rounded ; body covered 

 with long fur; tail long or short ; feet five -toed ; soles hairy; falcular claws, 

 those of the fore feet the longest, and fit for digging. 



3. LUTRA (Lat. lutum, mud). Incisive teeth six above, six below, of 

 which the second outer is the narrowest, sometimes only four; cuspid 

 conical, sharp, and longer than the incisive ; molar above five on a side, the 

 anterior three or two conoid and cutting, the next to these the largest with 

 a broad, internal, lateral rising ; the last tubercular ; below, six or five, the 

 first small, the two following conoid and cutting, the last but one cutting 

 with two points, the last tubercular ; the head flat, nose short and broad ; 

 ears short; eyes furnished with a haw ; body covered with long close hair; 

 tail short and flattened horizontally ; legs short and muscular ; toes five on 

 each foot, webbed ; claws sharp and falciform. 



4. VIVERRA. Incisive teeth in each jaw six ; cuspid teeth conical, long, 

 and distinct ; molar six on each side in each jaw ; in the upper, the anterior 

 three sectorial, conoid, and slightly compressed, the fourth sectorial very 

 large and tricuspid, the hinder two tritorial and tubercular ; hi the lower jaw, 

 the anterior four sectorial and single-pointed (the first tooth sometimes defi- 

 cient), the fifth largest, sectorial, its outer edge bicuspid with two internal 

 tubercles, and one large hinder tubercle, the sixth large, tritorial, and tuber- 

 cular ; muzzle lengthy ; tongue beset on its upper surface with sharp, coarse 

 papilla? ; ears short ; body covered with long hair more or less coarse, with 

 finer short hair, or down, at the base ; tail long, tapering, or cylindrical 

 feet digitigrade, with hairy soles, with five distinct toes, and the claws 

 curved, sharp, and more or less retractile ; between the vent and the geni- 

 tals a glandular apparatus secreting an odorous, unctuous substance. 



5. HERPESTES (Gr. tpn-^orj/e, a creeper). Six incisive teeth in each jaw, 

 the second outer, on each side of the lower, narrower than the others ; 

 cuspid teeth sharp, conical, longer than the incisive ; molars six on each side 

 in each jaw ; of the upper, the anterior three are compressed and cutting, 

 the fourth tricuspid, and the fifth and sixth tubercular ; of the lower, the 

 first four are single-pointed and cutting, the fifth largest and cutting with 

 two points on its outer, and two tubercles on the inner edge, behind which 

 is a broad surface, having four tubercles on it ; the sixth molar large, tuber- 

 cular, and grinding ; muzzle sharp, with a lengthened rounded snout ; ears 

 short and rounded ; body long and covered with long hair, except the head 

 and legs, on which it is short ; tail long ; anal pouch large, but single, and 

 immediately beneath the tail ; the vent placed in its deepest part ; the legs 

 short, five-toed, and half- webbed ; claws sharp ; the whole sole bare, but 

 the animal walks only upon the tips of the toes. 



6. CANIS (Lat. catus, wary). Three false molar teeth above and four 

 below on either side ; two canine teeth in either jaw, behind each of which 

 are two tuberculous teeth, of which the anterior in the upper jaw are 

 very large ; tongue very soft ; five toes to the anterior, and four to the 

 hinder extremities. 



7. HY-ENA. Incisive teeth six in each jaw, the second outer of the lower 

 jaw thicker at its base than the others ; cuspid very long, conical, and 

 sharp ; molar teeth large, five on each side in the upper jaw, the anterior 

 three single-edged, the fourth, which is the largest, tricuspid, and armed 



with a little tubercle on its fore and inner edge, the fifth small, tubercular, 

 and placed transversely in the jaw ; in the lower jaw four, the anterior three 

 thick and conical, the fourth the largest and bicuspid ; feet four-toed, their 

 soles hain,-. 



8. FELIS. Muzzle round; jaws short and strong; incisive teeth six in 

 each jaw ; cuspid very long, conical, sharp ; molar teeth cutting, four on 

 each side in the upper jaw, the two first thickish and conical, the third 

 which is the largest bicuspid, and the fourth tuberculated and smallest ; in 

 the lower jaw three, the anterior simply cutting, the third bicuspid ; tongue 

 rough, with little points inclining backwards; pupils in some round, in 

 others oblong vertically ; ears short and pointed ; body hairy, tail varying 

 in length ; feet digitigrade, five-toed before, four-toed behind, soles hairy ; 

 nails sharp clawed, and in most species retractile upwards, the roots enter- 

 ing into sheaths. 



9. MEGALOTIS (Gr. ^tyac, great, and oJc, an ear). Incisive teeth above 

 and below ; cuspid teeth very long and sharp pointed ; molar teeth six 

 above and seven below on either side ; ears very long, oval, and open ; fore 

 feet five-toed, hind feet four-toed. 



10. PARADOXURUS (Gr. irapaSo^ov, a paradox, and ovpa, a tail). In- 

 cisive teeth six in each jaw, of which the external are the larger, cuspid 

 distinct, conical, and larger than incisive ; molar six above and below, the 

 anterior upper three and lower four spurious, the fourth upper and fifth 

 lower sectorial, and the rest tubercular ; muzzle long and nose projecting ; 

 ears rounded ; feet five-toed, and the toes connected by a loose membrane 

 as far as the last joint, the claws sharp and partially retractile ; at the roots 

 of the toes four fleshy tubercles covered with delicate skin; tail long, 

 capable of being rolled up into a spire ; anal pouches none. 



11. PROTELES (Gr. irpo, before, and rtXfcic, perfect). In each jaw six 

 incisive teeth, regularly ranged, broadish, grooved vertically in front. Those 

 of the lower jaw bilobed on their crown ; cuspid teeth rather longer than 

 the incisive, and conical ; molar teeth eight in the upper jaw apart from 

 each other, and six in the lower jaw ; muzzle slender and nose projecting ; 

 ears long and sharp ; fore feet five-toed, hind feet four-toed, plantigrade ; 

 claws falcular and sharp ; tail of moderate length. 



DIGITIGRADA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



MUSTELA Marten, Polecat, Weasel. The animals which compose this 

 genus are distinguished from all other of the Carnivorous Family by the 

 length and slenderness of their bodies and the shortness of their legs ; their 

 neck is strong and thick ; their body and limbs are extremely supple, so 

 that they twist about like worms, whence they are called Vermiform Ani- 

 mals. All have anal glands, the secretion from which, in the Polecat, 

 Weasel, and others, is extremely offensive, whilst in some, as the Marten 

 and Pine Marten, it affords an agreeable perfume. They live a solitary life, 

 some in the neighbourhood of human habitations, others only in forests, or 

 near the brinks of streams. All of them are extremely sanguinary. These 

 animals are found in all parts of the world, but more especially in the tem- 

 perate and colder Northern regions, where their fur becomes extremely fine 

 and thick, and in Norway and Siberia forms an extensive article of com- 

 merce. 



The first section of these animals includes the following species : 



The Polecat, or Fitchet (M. Putorius), which is about eighteen inches hi 

 length ; its tail is six inches. It lives in woods or thick brakes, either in 

 old rabbit burrows or forming a shallow burrow about two yards long, 

 which usually terminates amid the roots of trees ; sometimes it is found 

 under hay-ricks and in barns, and in winter occasionally even in houses. It 

 brings five or six young at a birth, and these, towards the end of the sum- 

 mer, are capable of providing for themselves. The Polirat steals out at 

 night, and is but rarely seen in the day-time ; it is a great enemy to young 

 poultry and game, especially Rabbits, the blood of which it is extremely 

 fond of. Though the smell of the Polecat when alive is so rank as to be 

 proverbial, yet its skin, when dressed with the hair on, is used as fur for 

 making tippets. 



The Ferret (M. Furo) is by some zoologists considered as merely an 



