MAMMALS 269 



walruses use the hind legs to scramble about on the rocks 

 or beaches of the shore. The fur-seals (fig. 214) live 

 gregariously in great rookeries on the Pribilof or Fur Seal 

 Islands, and the Commander Islands in Bering Sea. The 

 bears are represented in our country by the widespread 

 brown, black, or cinnamon bear ( Ursiis amcricaiuis) and 

 the huge grizzly bear iU. Jiorribilis) of the West. The 

 great polar bear {^Thalarctos maritimiis) lives in arctic 

 regions. The otters, skunks, badgers, wolverines, sables, 

 minks, and weasels compose the family Mustelidae, which 

 includes most of the valuable fur-bearing animals. Some 

 of the members of this family lead a semi-aquatic, or even 

 strictly aquatic, life and have webbed feet. The wolves, 

 foxes, and dogs belong to the family Canidae. The coyote 

 (Canis latrans), the gray wolf (C . imbilns), and the red 

 fox ( Vjtlpcs pennsylv aniens) are the most familiar repre- 

 sentatives of this family, in addition to the dog {C . fami- 

 Haris), which is closely allied to the wolf. " Most car- 

 nivorous of the carnivora, formed to devour, with every 

 offensive weapon specialized to its utmost, the Felida;, 

 whether large or small, are, relatively to their size, the 

 fiercest, strongest, and most terrible of beasts." The 

 Felida, or cat family, includes the lions, tigers, hyenas, 

 leopards, jaguars, panthers, wildcats, and lynxes. In this 

 country the most formidable of the Felidje is the Amer- 

 ican panther or puma [Felis concolor). It reaches a length 

 from nose to root of tail of over four feet. Its tail is long. 

 The wildcat {Lynx rnfns) is much smaller and has a short 

 tail. 



The man-like mammals (Primates). — The Primates, 

 the highest order of mammals, includes the lemurs, mon- 

 keys, baboons, apes, and men. Man (Homo sapiens) is 

 the only native representative of this order in our coun- 

 try. All the races and kinds of men known, although 

 really showing much variety in appearance and body 



