38 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



mouffettes have, besides, like the badgers, the front 

 nails long and proper for digging. The resemblance 

 holds good even in the distribution of colours. In 

 this family, so remarkable for its unpleasant odour, 

 the mouffettes are distinguished for a stinking pre- 

 minence above all the other species. 



The mouffettes are usually radiated with white 

 upon a black ground. But they appear to vary in 

 the same species by the number of streaks, and they 

 have not been interdistinguished with any sufficient 

 accuracy. All those which come from America have 

 a long and tufted tail, but M. Lechenaud has lately 

 repprted the existence of one species in the island 

 of Java altogether destitute of this appendage. 



The Otters (Lutra, Storr.) 



Have three false molars above and below, a strong 

 talon on the upper carnivorous tooth, a tubercle on 

 the internal side of the lower, and a large tubercu- 

 lous tooth, almost as long as broad above. The head 

 is compressed and the tongue partly rough. They 

 are moreover distinguished from all the preceding 

 sub-genera by their palmate feet, and their tail hori- 

 zontally flattened ; two characters which constitute 

 them aquatic animals. They are supported on fish. 



The common Otter. (Mustela lutra, L.) Buff. VII. xi. 



Brown above, whitish beneath. Habitat, the 

 rivers of Europe 



The Otter of America, (Mustela cutra Brasilicitsis, Gm.) 

 Altogether brown or fawn-coloured, with a 

 white or yellow neck, and somewhat larger than 



