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Aïne rtc ana , and considered by him to be the same species, though the ir fur is shorter, less woolly, and o f a
brownish and darker tin t in the body. He takes the species to be the tlac yotl of Hernandez, thus ascribing
to it a range from Mexico to the 55th parallel of north latitude. The description o f Meles labradoria in the
F a u n a Boreali-Âmericana is defective, owing to the loss of the scull o f the individual killed on the plains o f the
Saskatchawan, when the specimen was in the stuffer’s hands. From materials collected by Mr. Waterhouse
it would appe a r th a t the form o f the cranium o f the American animal is very peculiar, and altogether different
from tha t o f tlie Europe an badger.
1 3 . P U T O R IU S V U L G A R IS .
Ttie commonweasel of America differs from tha t of E urope in several characters, which were pointed
o ut by the Prince of Miisignano, in a pape r read tliis season before the Linnean Society. Specimens from
the fur countries, described in the F a u n a Boreali-Americana were declared b y the P rinc e to be exactly similar
to those obtained by him much farther south. The American species which now bears the name of P u to r iu s
cicoGNANii is readily distinguished from its Europe an congener by the brownish b la ck tip of its tail.*
1 4 . P U T O R IU S E R M IN E A .
The Ame rican E rm in e is also different from the Europe an species, and has been named by the
Prince o f Musignano P u to r iu s R i c h a r d s o n i i . The same eminent naturalist after examining m y specimens
of the Carlton-house variety, mentioned in p . 47 o f th e F a u n a Boreali-Americana, named it as a distinct
species, P u to r iu s longicauda.
1 5 . M u s t e l a m a r t e s .
Ame rican P in e -M a r tin s from various localities have been described by different naturalists as distinct
from the Europe an spe c ie s; and recently Mr. Yarrell on comparing a series of M a rtin skulls from the fur
countries with those o f English pin e and stone Martins found strongly-marked differences between them.
Hitherto I have seen b u t one American species; it varies with the season in the color and quality of its
fur ; when in prime winter condition, and of a more than usually dark tint, (as is especially the case when
it inhabits certain rocky districts), it is sold by furriers as “ the Sable.’’ Frederick Cuvier has described a
summer specimen un d e r the specific appellation o f huro, which ought to be retained as the distinctive name
o f the American Martin.
1 7 . M u s t e l a c a n a d e n s is .
A dissection of this animal by Mr. Martin is recorded in the Zoological proceedings for 1833, p . 97.
1 8 (* ) . M e p h i t i s n a s u t a . L o n g n o s e d s k u n k .
A S kunk from the parts o f California, adjoining to Mexico, described b y Mr. Bennett in the Zoological
proceedings for 1833, differs from the northern species not only in its more prolonged snout, b u t also in
having a broad white moesial stripe down the back, instead o f a lateral one uniting with its fellow on the
shoulder and rump.
* An exact description of the Putorius Cicogmnii is given in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, under the designation
of “ the commou weasel.” It is there stated “ to agree in all respects with the European species;” but when
th a t remark was made the London museums were sadly deficient in authenticated examples of the smaller native
quadrupeds, and I compared my specimens with other American weasels, under the impression tha t they were
European ones.
1 9 . L u t r a c a n a d e n s i s .
T his Otter was considered in the F a u n a B oreali-Americana to be the only one which frequents the fur
countries, b u t Captain Back on his recent over-land expedition brought home a specimen o f lu tra la tax ina
from the vicinity o f Great Slave Lake, and as the skins o f both kin d s are packed indiscriminately a t the fur
posts it is doubtful which is the species that inhabits the rivers o f North west America. The canadensis, or
hraziliensis has a hairy muzzle. The la ta x in a is so like the common Europe an o tte r tha t Baron Cuvier was
unwilling to admit tha t they were distinct.
2 2 . C a n i s l a t r a n s .
. Skins o f the coyoti obtained in Mexico by C aptain S utherland, exhibited to the Zoological Society in
August, 1833, were considered by the members to be identical with the p ra ir ie w o l f o f Say, specimens of
which exist in the museum o f the society.
2 3 . C a n i s o c h r o p u s .
From the preceding remark it appears tha t this animal is b u t a slight local variety o f canis latrans.
2 5 . C a n i s l a g o p u s .
Thieneman distinguishes two species o f Arctic Fox, hitherto included u n d e r the Linna;an name of
lagopus-. one for which he retains this old specific name he considers to be confined to the north o f E u ro p e ;
tlie other, for which he adopts the appellation o f isaiis, has for its assigned h ab it a t the A rctic parts o f A sia and
America. I f lie be correct, this lis t should have contained Canis or m lp e s isatis, to the exclusion o f lagopus,
b ut all the specimens tha t I have seen from the Greenland coasts and Hudson’s Bay territories have had the
rounded ears o f lagopus, with the tip o f the tail more or less coloured. The range o f these two foxes is
therefore less limited than Thieneman believes, if the species be really d istinct.
2 9 . F e l is c o n c o l o r . T h e c o u g a r , o r p u m a .
An interesting dissection o f an animal o f this species, which died in the Zoological Gardens, is recorded
by Mr. Martin in the Zoological proceedings for 1835, (page 120). He particula rly n otices the approximation
o f the glottis to the base o f the tongue, the intervening space not exceeding an inch, or, when the tongue is
protruoed, an inch and a h a lf: hence th e p um a is incapable o f producing the “ roar” o f the lion, or the
“ growl” o f the jagua r, its voice b e ing merely a shrill “ sn a rl.”
3 0 . F e l i s o n c a .
'’‘“ ‘' " I ' r the species o f this genus is so great th a t naturalists doubt whether the
antmaUe en by Lewts and Clarke on the Columbia was the or not. Temminck denies tha t there is
any proof o f the h a rin g been killed within the limits of the United States The resemblance o f the
( ' e m f •'>' >i»". '"'■i iw distance from the base o f the tongue rather exceeding three
the c 2 lo 7 f r “ =“ “ y -g s «he aU irf American species. In
r m l a h , ) , which IS also an American animal, the .in to g lo ltk li, and the base o f the tongue
species Jfelw, with a long tail and n o t larger than a house c at, is an inhabitant o f Texas.