ORDER CARNASSIER. 285 



Their teeth, however, differ amongst the several species, 

 and seem to indicate that they are not all equally carni- 

 vorous ; some groups being found to vary from others in 

 this particular. Hence, as we have seen, they are divided 

 by the number and conformation of the cheek-teeth, into 

 the sub-genera of the Putorii, or Polecats ; the Mustelce, or 

 Martens ; the Mephites, or Mephitic Weasels ; and the 

 Lutree, or Otters. The viverrae are classed with the Dogs, 

 on account, also, of a similarity of the teeth of these ani- 

 mals with those of the canine genus. 



The first of these, the Putorii or Polecats, have no 

 tubercle on the inner side of the carnivorous tooth in the 

 lower jaw ; the tuberculous tooth in the upper jaw, very 

 long ; two false cheek-teeth in the upper, and three in the 

 lower ; and the muzzle shorter and thicker than that of the 

 next sub-division, or Martens. 



• The fur of the Common Polecat is of two sorts, the one 

 long and shining, of a brown-black colour ; the other, silky, 

 short, and yellowish, or fulvous-white. Hence the animal 

 is brown on those parts most furnished with long hairs, as 

 on the back, fyc. ; and yellow, where the other sort most 

 prevail, as on the belly ; the legs and tail are black-brown ; 

 round the mouth, at the corner of the ears, and on the fore- 

 head, there is some white ; the body is about eighteen inches 

 long ; the tail, six or eight inches ; the head is rather shorter 

 than that of the Marten, and displays additional powers of 

 jaw ; the ears are small and round ; the eye is small, and 

 the eye-pupil is elongated transversely ; the tongue is acu- 

 leated ; the feet are pentadactylous, and the toes are semi- 

 palmate ; the thumb is very short, and the third and fourth 

 finger, of equal length, are the longest. The noxious va- 

 pour of the Polecat proceeds from a yellowish viscous secre- 

 tion, produced by glands on each side of the anus. 



From the habits of this species, it is extremely destruc- 

 tive, as every animal it can conquer falls a victim to its 



