220 



THE BADG1':R and \VKA.S1':I, J'AMllA', 



lung Ijushy tail. The scent-glands arc fairly 

 well developed. The teeth number 34 in 

 all; the canines are very large, the premolars 

 triangular, the carnassials sharp and jxjwerful, 

 the tubercled teeth small. 



Of the two known s]jecies this work 

 furnishes an illustration of the larger, the 

 Tayra or Hyrare {(lalictis barbara), fig. 113. 

 The body attains the length of 2 feet or 

 more, the tail about 6 inches, 'i'he colour of 



the fur is a beautiful golden-brown, inclining 

 sometimes more to yellow, sometimes more to 

 brown. A yellow sjjot, which becomes white 

 on the dried skins, is seen beneath the throat. 

 The smaller species, the Grison [(jahctis 

 viltala), attains the length of only 18 inches, 

 and has a yellow colour on the back of the 

 neck, the ears, and the ti]j of the tail, while 

 the under parts of the body are almost black. 

 The two species lead a similar life t(j that 

 of our martens and weasels. The tayra pre- 

 fers the forests, the grison open cop];ices and 

 the vicinity of human dwellings. The agile 

 creatures are cajjital climbers, and hunt game 

 suitable to their size. Both have a decided 

 preference for winged game, and often the 

 despairing cry of the parrots betrays to the 

 hunters the misrleeds of these; fierce creatures, 



which are rather blood-suckers than llesh- 

 eaters. Thev run. lea]j, and climb with ex- 

 traordinar\ ]jerse\-erance, and commit terrible 

 massacres in the ]K)ultry-\ards. '] hey are 

 hunted with dogs, which often surprise them 

 in their holes, which are always made in the 

 grfjund, or in other retreats; l;ut they escape 

 when they can, like our martens, to the trees, 

 lea[) across the small branches from one tree- 

 top to another, clamber down on the opposite 

 side of a stem to that on which their pursuers 

 are, scam])er along the ground to another 

 tree, and in that way lead the best dogs 

 astray. Their fur is not highly valued. In 

 some places they are kept, like our cats, to 

 hunt rats and mice. 



The Martens {Mnstcla) are distinguished 

 from the polecats {/'itiorius) solely by their 



