Carnivora. MAMMALIA. Carnivora. 
xlis 
glands, and continued to do this even after the re- 
moval of the latter. 'I'he fur of the coinnion Skunk 
is long-, and strikingly and pleasingly embellished by 
an alternation of black and white stripes. When 
seen at night — for it is crepuscular or nocturnal in 
habit— especially on a moonlight night, it seems 
either conscious of its latent powers, or is essentially 
good-natured, showing less fear even than the domes- 
tic Oat. We have seen one walk deliberately along 
the middle of a town street, its tail erect, flowing 
like a fountain plume. It will suffer you to approach, 
and the unwise or inexperienced may, most likely, 
be Impelled to catch it. In most instances the at- 
tempt is rewarded with complete success — in the 
Pickwickian sense. Macbeth's soliloquy is here ex- 
actly reversed, for it is the deed and not the attempt 
confounds us. See also vol. i., p. 86. 
LITTLE STKIPED SKUNK {Mephitis Ucolor).— 
This is the smallest of American Skunks, and is par- 
ticularly handsome in the disposition of the black 
and white marking of its fur. In length, it is only 
about that of the Weasel, though stouter in body. 
Its nose is long and pointed, the nostrils being sit- 
uated on the sides. The body is black, with an ir- 
regular four-sided figure on the crown of the head. 
On the base of the ear, forward, is a crescent shape 
of white. Four parallel stripes run lengthwise of the 
body ; two narrow ones commence at the occiput, 
separated a half an inch, and one on either side of 
these, broader, and closing in with the lower edge of 
the crescentic patch of the face, extending along the 
middle of the sides ; another stripe on each side be- 
gins on the side of the belly, behind the axilla. 
These stripes are all continuous until they are in- 
'terrupted on the middle of the body. Four spots 
now replace the stripes, and they are sometimes so 
placed as to resemble stripes transversely across the 
flanks. The hairs of the tail are entirely black, ex- 
cept the terminal portion of longer hair, which is 
white. 
Mephitis mesomelas. — This species has no trivial 
name, and its specific designation does not seem to 
be particularly distinctive. Its characters are re- 
corded as follows : From the nose to the vertex 
there is a narrow, white band and a nuchal spot, 
truncated anteriorly, divided behind into two, ex- 
tending along the sides of the back and tail. The 
short fore-claws, and the densely hairy soles of the 
feet are characters that distinguish it sharply from 
others. Lichtenstein, who first described it, and 
gave the locality as Louisiana, gives the length as 
nineteen inches, the tail being nine. 
Mephitis leuconota. — This is another species de- 
scribed by Lichtenstein, as coming from the River 
Alvarado, Mexico. Its characters are seen in a 
white stripe, which runs the length of the back, 
widening about the middle, coming to a point at 
the vertex, contracting at the posterior, and ending 
at the terminus of the tail. Its length to root of 
tail is twenty-four inches ; of tail, twelve inches, d'he 
stripe in the middle of the back is three inches in 
width. 
Mephitis macroura. — Another Mexican species, 
Vol. l .— fj - 
also described by the same author as the preceding. 
It is recorded as being found in the more temperate 
regions of Mexico. On the head is a broad patch 
of white, which is continued behind into a broad 
stripe over the body and tail. On the sides is a 
single longitudinal white stripe. The length of the 
body is fourteen inches ; of the tail vertebrae, thirteen 
inches; its terminal hairs, five inches. 
Mephitis vittata. — In Oaxaca, in Mexico, Lichten- 
stein discovered this, and gives the following specific 
characters : From the nose to the vertex a narrow 
line ; one or two streaks on each side, along the occi- 
put ; a solitary stripe on each side, from the parotid 
region to the base of tail. Body thirteen inches; 
tail vertebrae eleven ; terminal hairs four inches. 
Galictis. 
This genus, as recorded by Mr. Bell, is character- 
ized by having eighteen molar teeth, ten being spuri- 
ous. On the upper jaw are four, and on the lower, 
six. For a more particular account, see vol. i., p. 87. 
THE GRISO-N {Galictis vittata, Bell.)— F\g. 23, vol. 
i., p. 88. — This is a native of Brazil, Paraguay and 
Chili, and is also common as far south as Patagonia. 
It is regarded as a particularly fierce creature, even 
in captivity and domestication. Fred. Cuvier relates 
an instance of the Grison’s ferocity : “ One that had 
been kept in a state of domestication, and well fed, 
became so enraged at a Lemur that it fell upon it 
and soon killed it, breaking the bars of its own cage 
to reach the unfortunate quadrumane. Yet it was 
gentle and docile in play, seizing the hand of its 
master in mock attempts at biting, yet never inflict- 
ing a wound. Its memory was quite striking, as it 
always remembered those that fondled it, and al- 
lowed considerable familiarity for those that petted 
it gently. Its odor is a great drawback, however, to 
its being kept as a pet. This is the Viverra vittata 
of Schreber ; Gulo vittatus of Desm, Rengger and 
Fischer; Ursus braziliensis of Thunberg ; Le Grison 
of Buflfon ; El Huron menor of Azara. It is called 
Grison, ILuron and Quiqui in Chili, and Cachorino 
de Mato in Brazil. 
THE MAIKEL {Gonepatus amazonica, Gray ). — 
Gray describes this animal in the Magazine of Nat- 
ural History, London, and mentions a variety under 
the specific name humboldtii. Lichtenstein called it 
Mephitis amazonica. Its habitat is in the Straits of 
Magellan. 
THE PATAGONIAN MAIKEL {G. humboldtii, Gray). 
— 'riiis is recorded by Gray in the Gatalogue of the 
Mammals in the British Museum, under the above 
title, though at one time he regarded it as a variety 
of the preceding. These animals are not often seen, 
and very little is recorded of their habits. 
THE TAYEA {Galerabarbara, Gray). — This genus 
has this solitary species only. It is known as the 
Grkat Weasel by Azara, who described it. Its 
habits are not well known, though it has been kept 
for a time in captivity. It is said to be extremely 
lively and amusing, uttering a kind of voice which 
