400 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



Museum, was led, from the general similarity between its 

 dentition and that of the Civets, to attach it to the same 

 group. 



Its general figure and habits bear little resemblance 

 to those animals : Buffon compared it with the Civet, and 

 if his idea was not followed up, it was because more 

 importance was attached to the colours of the fur and glan- 

 dular pouches of the anus, than to the physiognomy and ha- 

 bits of body. Yet these last characters are often of greater 

 consequence than the former, and the general analogies of 

 nature may be established on them with greater certainty. 



Erxleben, Gmelin, #c, made the Suricate one of the 

 species of their Viverrce, and placed it next the Mangoustes 

 and Coatis. The Suricate is now a sub-genus of the re- 

 formed subdivisions of the Viverrae. 



Among our own animals the Pole-Cat and Ferret are those 

 which, in external appearances, are closest to the Suricate. 

 Among foreign species, it most resembles the smaller Man- 

 goustes ; but it differs considerably from both, by its slender 

 and elevated limbs, compact body, extreme length of nose, 

 plantigrade walk, fyc. Its physiognomy is indeed altogether 

 peculiar, and has no type among the known Mammalia. 



Like all the Carnassiers the Suricate has five incisors and 

 two canines in each jaw : its upper molars on each side 

 are five, two false, one carnivorous, of the form of an iso- 

 sceles triangle. The internal tubercle of this tooth is so 

 thick, that we can scarcely consider the tooth as trenchant ; 

 then come two false molars of the same form, but smaller 

 than the carnivorous, and having a tubercule on each 

 angle of their triangles. 



The lower jaw has three false molars ; the third of these 

 has anteriorily an elevated point, and posteriorily a sort of 

 heel composed of two soft tubercles. After these comes 

 the carnivorous tooth, with a thick joint, divided into two 



