History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

16 MAMMALIA. FERA. Lutra.in Ireland, so late as 1710. King Edgaris said to have reduced theirnumbers greatly, by commuting certain punishments for a given numberof wolves' tongues. Succeeding princes had recourse to variousexpedients to restrain their increase. The progress of civilisation atlength effected their destruction.Among our Saxon ancestors, Januarywas called the Wolf-month, as at that season they were particularlydestructive. An outlaw,was said to be wolf-shed, independent of thevoice of tradition or history, the remains of this animal in limestonecaves, attest its former residence in this country.3. Extinct Hycena.This species, not now known alive on the globe, and which appears tohave been of the size of the brown bear, nearly resembles in its osteologythe Cape Hyaena. Plate 3d of Buckland's Rel. DiL, exhibits a comparativeview of the teeth of the two species. The remains of thisanimal have occurred in caves at Kirkdale and Plymouth, and in alluvialclay at Lawford, near Rugby, in Warwickshire. The learnedProfessor, in the above work, infers, from the number of bones of otheranimals occurring in sharp fragments, with the marks of theteethhyaena'supon them, along with the excrement of that animal, that theKirkdale Cave had long been occupied as a hyaena's den, and thatthis species possessed the habit of carrying into caves the remains ofits prey.3. Extinct Tiger.Remains of this animal have occurred in the caves of Kirkdale and Plymouth.They equal, if not exceed in size similar bones belonging tothe Bengal Tiger. Buck. Rel. Dil. p. 17-72. Plate vi. f. 5, C, 7. Thetwo last extinct species, itmay be added, occur in similar circumstances,in many places on the Continent of Europe*.PALMATA.1. Incisors and Tusks in both jaws.Gen. XIV. LUTRA. Otter.—With the three kinds ofgrinders, and six incisors in each jaw.21. L. vulgaris.Common Otter.— Fur blackish-brown, witha white spot on each side of the nose, and another under thechin.Lutra, Merr. Pin. p. 167—Sibb. Scot. p. 10 Ray, Quad. p. 187 MustekLutra, Lin. Syst. 1. p. G6—Pen. Br. Zool. 1. p. 92. tab. viii. No. 19.— W, Dyfrgi; G, Doran, Dorchie Not uncommon. Near lakes andrivulets.The usual length of the body of the otter is about 2 feet, and the tail 16inches. The ears are minute : the nostrils furnished with a valve for closingthem when diving; eyes small, with a dorsal aspect and lateral eyelid ; feetwith five toes, and strong grooved nails ;tongue smooth In the female, theexternal organ of generation is a small pouch, in which is the entrance to thevagina. It burrows in the banks of rivulets, and brings forth five }roung.In Zetland (whereit is called Tyke), the otter frequents the sea-shore. In*On the subject of the extinct quadrupeds of Britain ; see a paper whichI published in the Edin. Phil. Journ. vol. ix. p. 287>, " Remarks illustrativeof the influence of Society on the Distribution of British Animals."