chap, xvii.] MAMMALIA. 199 



not going south of the Himalayas in India. The North American 

 species are placed in the genus Putorius by Professor Baird. An 

 allied genus, Gymnopus (4 species), is confined to the third and 

 fourth Oriental sub-regions. Gido (1 species), the glutton, is an 

 arctic animal keeping to the cold regions of Europe and Asia, and 

 coming as far south as the great lakes in North America. Galictis 

 (2 species), the grisons, are confined to the Neotropical region. 



The Otters (Lutrina3) range over the whole area occupied by 

 the family. They have been subdivided into a number of groups, 

 such as Barangia (1 species), found only in Sumatra ; Lontra, 

 containing 3 South American species ; Lutra (7 species), ranging 

 over the whole of the Palrearctic and Oriental regions ; Nutria 

 (1 species), a sea-otter confined to the west coast of America 

 from California to Chiloe; Lutronedes (1 species), from Japan only; 

 Aonyx (5 species), found in West and South Africa, and the third 

 and fourth Oriental sub-regions. Hydrogale (1 species), confined 

 to South Africa; Latax (2 species), Florida and California to 

 Canada and British Columbia ; Pteronura (1 species), Brazil and 

 Surinam ; and Enhydris (1 species), the peculiar sea-otter of Cali- 

 fornia, Kamschatka and Japan. The last two are the only groups 

 of otters, besides Lutra, admitted by Professor Carus as genera. 



The Badgers and allies (Melinime) have also a wide range, but 

 with one exception are absent from South America. They com- 

 prise the following genera : Ardonyx (1 species), Nepal to Aracan; 

 Melcs (4 species), North Europe to Japan, and China as far south 

 as Hongkong (Plate I., vol. i., p. 195) ; Taxidea (2 species), Central 

 and Western North America to 58° N. Lat. ; Mydaus (1 species), 

 mountains of Java and Sumatra; Melivora (3 species), Tropical and 

 South Africa and India to foot of Himalayas ; Mephitis (12 species), 

 America from Canada and British Columbia to the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan (Plate XX., vol. ii., p. 136). Idonyx (2 species), Tropical 

 Africa to the Cape ; Helidis (4 species), Nepal to Java, Formosa 

 and Shanghai (Plate VII., vol. i. p. 331). 



Fossil Mustelidce. — Species of otter, weasel, badger, and glutton, 

 occur in European bone caves and other Post-tertiary deposits ; 

 and in North America Galidis, now found only in the Neotro- 

 pical region, and, with Mephitis, occurring in Brazilian caves. 



Vol. II.— 14 



