6 
THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. [UPPEE 
the Himalaya. The sharp-eyed Lynx -with its tufted ears ; the Cheetah, 
or Hunting Leopard, trained in India to biing down game, and for that 
purpose carried hoodwinked, till an Antelope or other game is in 
sight, when on the blinders being removed, the Cheetah springs on the 
animal. 
Cases 30 and 31. The Hyaenas, noted for their extreme voracity, and 
the loud howling they make at night; they feed chiefly on carrion. 
Case 32. The Civets, which secrete in a pouch a peculiar substance 
used as perfume. The Genets, Lingsang, Basaris, and Ichneumons 
prey upon the smaller quadrupeds and birds, and are fond of sucking 
the eggs of reptiles and birds. The Surikate is readily tamed. Cases 
t37-4'2. The Dogs which walk with the claws exposed ; the ferocious 
Wolves hunt their prey in packs ; the Jackals wander about at night and 
feed on carrion : their howling is frightful ; the Foxes, with sharp muz- 
zles and bushy tails, are proverbial for their cunning : a species is found 
in the Arctic regions, which turns white in winter. The African 
Otocyon and Fennec, with their enormous ears. Of the Dogs, one of 
the most interesting is the Esquimaux Dog, so indispensable to the 
northern tribes during their long journe^^s over the snow. Case 43. 
The Weasels, well adapted by their slenderness to creep into holes 
where they find their prey. Some of the best furs are derived from 
this tribe ; in Siberia and North America, the Sable and Ermine are 
regularly trapped during the winter for their skins. Case 44. The 
Wolverene, a very ferocious animal, said to master even the large Elk, 
on which it drops ; the Cape Ratel, whose favourite food is honey, in 
getting which it shows a peculiar instinct ; the Badgers, very strong 
creatures living in holes which they dig in the ground ; the Skunks 
derive their name {Mephitis) from the odious smell which they emit 
when provoked : they are natives of America. 
Case 46. The Otters, with their webbed feet and long fish-like bodies, 
inhabit rivers and lakes and live on fish ; the skin of the American 
Sea Otter is greatly valued by the Chinese as a fur. 
Cases 45-50. The Bears are named Plantigrade from walking on 
the soles of their feet, unlike the Dogs, which are Digitigrade, or walk 
on their toes. These animals are more frugivorous than carnivorous ; 
but the Polar Bear, the tyrant of the Arctic seas, lives chiefly on 
fish diet. The tropical Bears have generally short fur and long 
tongues. Most of the Bears can climb well and balance themselves 
on the hind legs with ease. The American Baccoon has been called 
Lotor, or the Washer, from its habit of dipping its food in water before 
eating it. Case 51. The Coati, with its long snout, which is used for 
-grubbing in the ground ; the Ailurus of Nepal, one of the most bril- 
liantly coloured of quadrupeds, a very active creature among trees. 
Here are placed the Insectivora, such as the Moles, with their strange 
fore-feet used for digging ; the Golden Moles of South Africa, with 
their refulgent fur, so rare among the Mammalia; the Tanrecs of 
Madagascar and the Mauritius, which sleep during the intense heats 
of summer ; the Hcdgeliogs, with their prickles, — they are useful to 
destroy cockroaches ; the Ptilocercus of Borneo, with its long feathered 
