CARNARTA. 87 



Martons. These miimals have the tail of middle length, with a fold horieath it in place of a pouch; an 

 their foot is verj' ^imilar to that of a Badger. 



The most celebrated species is the Glutton of the north, Rossomah of the Russians {XJrsus gulo, Lin.) ; size of a 

 IJad^ifer, and commonly of a fine deep maroon colour, with a browner disk on the back ; but sometimes it is palec. 

 It inhabits the g;Iacial reg'ions of the north, is reputed to be very sanp;uinary and ferocious, hunts by nigiit, dues 

 not become torpid durinfi; the winter, and subdues the larg'est animals by leaping; upon them from a tree. Its 

 voracity has been absurdly exaj^gerated by some authors. The Wolverine of North America {Un-Ui- luscia; Lin.) 

 does not appear to differ by any constant characters, but is ji^enerally of a paler tint. [E.\ceptin^ in size and 

 massiveness, I cannot perceive that this animal differs from tlic Martens : assuredly it does not in the structure 

 of its feet.] 



Warm climates produce some species which can only be placed near the Wolverines, from which they differ merely 

 in having one false molar less to each jaw, and by a longer tail. Such are the animals termed by the Spanish 

 inhabitants of North America Ferrets (Hurons), and which in point in fact have the dentition of our Ferrets and 

 ^Yeasels, and lead the same kind of life ; but they are distini^uished by their senii-plantij^rade carriac^e, [or rather 

 by having; their soles uncovered with hair]. Such are 



The (Jrison {Viverra villata, Lin.) — iilack, the top of the head and neck .?rey, a white hand reaching from the 

 forehead to the shoulders. [Tliis constitutes the Gr/.sonla, Gray, and with an allied species, Ic petit furet of 

 Azzara (Garicfis Aflamandi, Bell), the Galictis* of the last-named naturalist, who places them contifpjous to the 

 "Weasels. They are small animals, easily renderetl very tame, and e.xtremely playful in domestication ; of very 

 carnivorous disposition, and particularly fond of Ci^ffs.] 



The Taira (Uitstda barbara, Lin.) [Subdivision Taira of Gray.]— Brown [or brownish-black] ; the head g'rey ; 

 [and sometimes] a larf^e white spot under the throat. [The fur remarkably short.] 



These two animals are distributed throughout the warm parts of America, and e-\hale an odour of musk. Their 

 feet are a httle palmated, and it appears that they have been sometimes taken for Otters. f [We conceive that the 

 AVolverine mi;?ht be advanta;;eously removed to the genus of Martens; and would restrict the term G«/o to the 

 others. The Orisons diffuse when irritated a disgusting stench.l 



The Katels {McUivora, F. Cuv.) — 

 Have a false molar to each jaw still less than the Orisons, and their upper tnhercidous tooth but 

 little developed, so that they approximate the Cat-; in dentition ; hut their whole exterior is tliat of the 

 Orison, or [rather] of a Badger. The legs are short; feet [semi-] plantigrade, and five toes to each ; 

 the claws very strong, &c. 



But one species is known {Viverra mellivora, Sparm., and Viv. capensis, Schreb. pi. 125), of the size of the 

 European Badger; grey above, black below, with a wlute hne that separates the two colours; soTnetinies it is 

 almost wholly white above. It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, and burrows into the ground with its lung 

 claws, ill search of the huney-combs of the wild Bees. 



The Digitigrada — 

 Form the second tribe of Carnivora, the members of wdiich walk on the ends of their toes. 

 In the first subdivision of them [all the members of wdiich are semi-pknti^rade], there 

 is only one tuberculous grinder behind the upper carnivorous tooth : these animals, on account 

 of the length of their body, and shortness of the limbs, wdiich ])ermit them to pass through 

 very small openings, are styled vcnniform [rermin']. They are destitute of ccecum, hke the 

 preceding, but do not pass the winter in a state of lethargy. Although small and feeble, they 

 are very sanguinary and ferocious. Linmcus comprehended them all under one genus, that of 



The Weasels (Mustela, Lin.), — 

 Which we will divide into four subgenera. 



The True AYe.\sels {Pi'forius; Cuv. [Mm-fela, Ray.] ) — 

 Are the most sanguinary of any : their lower carnivorous tooth has no internal tubercle, and the upper 

 tLd)eiCulous one is broader than long ; there are only two false molars above and three below. These 

 animals may be recognized hy having the extremity of the muzzle somewhat shorter and blunter than 

 in the Martens. Tliey all diffuse [when alarmed] a fetid stench ; [take the water, and dive with 

 facilitv, having tlie toes semipalmated ; trace their prey by scent, and kill it by inflicting a wound in the 

 neck: the female is commonly much smaller than the male. 



*Tliis must not be confounded ^^ilh th'- G'lHrfh oi Is. OeotTroy \ fit is supposed from the description given by MarcRreave of hi^ 

 {Compte vpndn, Oct. ISli/), wliieh refers to tlie iV'iulcIa or Pulorius \ Cm-iqueibi-iu, which [laine Buffijii has itpplied to his SaTni^'nenrtf, vvl. 

 . , , n '■■ .^ irn 1 xiii. p. 319, thiit he lueaiit to spc;ik of ihe Taira. 



