ORDER CARNASSIER. 299 



may be described from a mutilated skin of the Coatimondi, 

 a plantigrade animal, whence it has been dismissed as sup- 

 posititious. 



The Conepate is thought to be the animal described by 

 Catesby, and not the Yagouare of Azara, as this traveller 

 conjectured. It is the Viverra Putorius of Gmelin. 



The Chinche, the Viverra Mephitis of Linnaeus, appears 

 also to be distinct. 



The Zorillo was certainly described by Buffon, from a 

 specimen of the Cape Marten before-mentioned ; and the 

 name he attributed to it belongs properly to the animal de- 

 scribed in his supplement, under the name of Mouffette de 

 Chili. It is, probably, the same as the Viverra Conepatl of 

 Hernandez, and the Mapurito of Mutis, which Gmelin 

 adopted as a distinct species. 



The Baron Cuvier, in his " Ossemens Fossils," in par- 

 ticular, seems to have bestowed very great pains to clear up 

 the existing difficulties on the subject of these animals. He 

 quotes, from various writers, the description given by each 

 of the Mephitic Weasels ; and we shall subjoin the result 

 of his inquiries : premising, that their cheek-teeth corre- 

 spond in number with those of the Polecat sub-division ; but 

 the molar, or flat tooth, is larger ; and the opposite tooth to 

 it, in the lower jaw, has two tubercles. The claws on the 

 fore feet are also very long, calculated for digging, and in- 

 dicating subterraneous habits ; but their most distinctive 

 peculiarity consists in the pre-eminently offensive vapour 

 they emit, which exceeds any thing of the kind other Wea- 

 sels are capable of, and separates them, in a remarkable 

 manner, from all other animals. 



Azara (Animaux de Paraguay, t. 1. p. 211) describes the 

 Yagouare, which has two white bands, extending to the tail ; 

 but which bands, he says, are altogether wanting in certain 

 individuals, and are but slightly indicated in others. 



Kalm (Voyage, p. 452) describes the Skunk of the Ame- 



