ORDER CARNASSIER. 301 



Chinche, having two white rays, which go off, and are dis- 

 persed on the sides. 



Raffinesque (Ann. of Nat.) describes the Mephitis In- 

 terrupta, which is brown, with two short white parallel 

 rays on the head; eight on the back, the four anterior of 

 which are equal and parallel, and the four posterior rectan- 

 gular. 



Molina describes the Chinga black, with a band of round 

 white spots along the back. 



And Shaw (Gen. Zool. v. i. p. 2) presents us with the 

 Mephitic Weasel of Bengal, with spots on the head, four 

 white dorsal stripes, and a furry tail. 



We shall now proceed with the description of the Yagou- 

 are of Azara. 



This animal is generally identified with the Mouffette de 

 Chili of Buffon, and the Viverra Conepatl of Gmelin. It is 

 described at length, by Azara, as an inhabitant of South 

 America, and generally found in the open country rather 

 than in the forests. It lives on insects, eggs, and such 

 birds as it can seize by surprise. Its motion is gentle and 

 gliding, and it carries its tail horizontally. It will not run 

 from a man ; and, indeed, exhibits no signs of fear at the 

 sight of any animal, however powerful ; but if it perceive 

 itself about to be attacked, it curves its back, raises its 

 hairy tail into a vertical position, and then ejects, with con- 

 siderable force, its urine, which is mixed with such an in- 

 supportably fetid liquid, produced by certain glands for the 

 purpose, that neither man, dog, nor any animal, however 

 fierce, will venture to touch it. If a single drop of this 

 most powerful liquid fall on a garment, it is rendered ab- 

 solutely useless ; for washing it twenty times over will not 

 destroy its horrible stench, which it will even diffuse 

 throughout the whole house in which it is kept. Azara 

 declares he was not able to endure the disgusting stink 



