zooLOGr. 15 



will often commit depredations in poultry-yards, pidgeon- 

 houses, and rabbit-warrens ; a few species of this family 

 are kept in a half domesticated state for the purpose of 

 destroying vermin ; but they are not easily rendered 

 familiar. Of the Piscivorous kinds, the flesh is almost 

 universally rejected ; the only uses to which man ap. 

 plies any parts of these Animals^ are their skins, for 

 clothing and other purposes, their fat, to extract the oil, 

 and the teeth of some few species for domestic purposes 

 in lieu of ivory. The whole of them with the exception 

 of the Otter, are untamed, the latter has been sometimes 

 rendered so far familiar as to catch fish for its master which 

 it will bring to shore and readily part with. 



Most of the Animals that are general feeders, that is, 

 devour indiscriminately either Animal or Vegetable sub- 

 stances, are considered as injurious to mankind, as the 

 numerous tribes of Rats, Mice and their affinites ; many 

 species of which are of so destructive a nature, and their 

 increase so prodigious, that were no checks opposed to 

 them, but a short time would suffice, to enable them, to com- 

 pletely overrun the countries they inhabit; Birds of prey, 

 Snakes, the tribe of Wcesels, and the larger kinds of their 

 own family, are their common enemies ; and in default 

 of other food they fall upon and devour one another. The 

 Hog when in a state of domestication certainly ranks as 

 a general feeder ; though in the countries where it is found 

 "wild, it inhabits forests, and feeds principally on roots, 

 forest seeds, and vegetables. In point of usefulness, 

 the Hog stands pre-eminent; for thongh, whilst living, 

 its form and manners are forbidding and disgusting, yet. 



