MAMMALIA. TERM. Fkchet. i6j 



Inhabits North America. — This animal is about the fee of a domeftic Cat, but longer bodied, and 

 fhorter in the limbs; the head is round, with a lengthei 1 fnout, and naked nofe, having three rows 

 of whifkers round the mouth, which has but a fhcrt opening, or riclus ,- the neck is very fhort ; 

 the head, neck, body, legs, and tail are black, having five white {tripes beginning behind the head, 

 one on the middle of the back, and two on each fide, which go fome way up the tail ; this is cover- 

 ed with very long hair, is carried horizontally over the back, like that of a Squirrel, and has a white 

 line running along the under fide from the anus to the tip, which is white ; the lower parts of the 

 body are variegated with black and white; the fore legs are fhorter than the hind legs; the hind feet 

 are long, and, in walking, reft on the heel ; both hind and fore feet have five toes, thofe before hav- 

 ing very long and comprefied claws, while thofe on the hind feet are much fhorter, and are hollowed 

 underneath : The fore-teeth of the upper jaw are parallel, funk inwards, and equal to each other ; 

 the lower fore-teeth are likewife equal in fize, are comprefied in their fliape, and two of them are 

 placed on the infide of the reft ; there are five grinders on each fide in both jaws ; the tuiks in both 

 jaws ftand clofe to the reft of the teeth, but more fo in the lower jaw. This animal digs holes, in 

 which it conceals itfelf, and fleeps during the day, going about only in the night, feeding on worms 

 and infects, and is fond of flefh, poultry, and eggs: When attacked by dogs it briftles up the hair on 

 its back, and throws its body into a round form ; and when irritated or frightened, like moft of the 

 fpecies of this genus, it emits a fhockingly oftenfive fetid vapour, and {linking urine, which renders 

 dogs or clothes perfectly intolerable ; and it is faid, that the only way to get this abominable fmell 

 from clothes is to bury them, for a day or two, in the earth. 



|jll 12. White Skunk. — 12. Viverra Mephitis. 13. 



The whole back and tail are white, except a longitudinal black line which commences 

 at the root of the tail and reaches to about the middle of the back. Schreber, iii. 444. 

 t. cxxi. 



Chinche. Sm. Buff. vii. 295. pi. ccxlii. — Skunk. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 218. Arch zool. n. 33. 



Inhabits America from Chili to Canada. — This fpecies is about fixteen inches long from the nofe 

 to the tail ; the head is black, with a lengthened fnout, and having a longitudinal white line from 

 the nape of the neck to the nofe ; the upper part of the neck, the whole of the back, except a lon- 

 gitudinal black line along the middle of its pofterior half, and the whole tail is white ; the tail is co- 

 vered thickly with very long coarfe hair, in fome varieties, it is of a blackifh colour, and is fome- 

 times tipt with white ; the fides, belly, legs, breaft, and throat are black ; all the toes are furnifhed 

 with long claws ; the hair on the whole body is long, fhining, and coarfe : This animal is very fond 

 of eggs ; it defends itfelf, like the laft defcribed, by means of an intolerable fetor, yet may be tamed. 



o|2 13. Conepatl. — (I. Viiierra Conepatl. 12. 



Of a blackifh colour, having two white lines running along the back, which are con- 

 tinued to the end of the tail. 

 Vulpecula puerilis, or Conepatl. Hernand. Mex. 232. 



Inhabits New Spain. — This animal is probably a variety of the Skunk. 



X 2 14- 



