ORDER CARNASSIER. 39 



our common otter. Of the rivers of the two 

 Americas. 



The Sea Otter, (Mustek lutris, L.) Schreb. CXXVIII. 



Twice as large as ours, with a body consi- 

 derably elongated, tail three times less than the 

 body, hind feet extremely short. Its blackish 

 covering as smooth and brilliant as velvet, is 

 the most valuable of all furs. It frequently is 

 whitish on the head. The English and Russians 

 pursue this animal in all the northern parts of 

 the Pacific Ocean, for the purpose of selling its 

 skin to the Japanese and Chinese. 



The second subdivision of the digitigrades has two 

 flat tuberculous teeth behind the upper carnivorous 

 tooth, which itself has a heel or protuberance tole- 

 rably broad. They are carnassiers, but without 

 showing much courage in proportion to their 

 strength. They frequently live on carrion. They 

 have all a small caecum. 



The Dogs (Canis, L.) 



Have three false molars above, four below, and two 

 tuberculous teeth behind each carnivorous one. 

 The first of these tuberculous teeth in the upper row 

 is very large. The upper carnivorous tooth has but 

 a single small tubercle within, but the lower one has 

 its posterior point altogether tuberculous. Their 

 tongue is soft. The fore-feet have five toes and the 

 hinder four. 



