392 Miscellaneous. 



ing to age. There are two species at present known, the Nasua rufa 

 and the one under notice, which I consider the largest. This animal 

 bears some affinity to the Racoon, but is distinguished by having 

 an elongated, truncated, and moveable snout, with which it roots up 

 the earth in search of worms and grubs. The jaws are armed with 

 sharp teeth, and the under jaw is shorter than the upper. It preys 

 upon small quadrupeds and birds. It climbs trees in search of prey, 

 and also frequently seeks its food upon the ground. 



The possession of this living specimen enabled me to observe its 

 habits ; and as it was permitted to roam about at liberty, its natural 

 actions could be better observed than when the animal is kept in 

 confinement. It would come when called, like a dog, evincing much 

 attachment, and always seemed gratified when patted or otherwise 

 caressed, more especially when rubbed behind the ears, displaying 

 during the operation as much delight as a cat under similar treatment, 

 crouching down, placing the head with the nose close to the ground, 

 uttering at the same time a subdued, sharp, whistling cry. If placed 

 in confinement, it would run round the cage, rapidly biting at its 

 tail during its circular movements ; and on any person approaching the 

 cage, would spit, growl, and utter loud, sharp, and discordant cries. 

 The instant, however, it was set at liberty, it permitted itself to be 

 fondled even by strangers. One of its habits was very peculiar : it 

 would take glue or any adhesive substance, if in its way, and rub 

 some over its tail, and soon after amuse itself by licking it off, or 

 endeavouring to remove it by washing its tail in water. It was very 

 fond of sucking the blood of animals ; and when these were placed 

 before it dead, always selected the part in which the blood had been 

 retained in the greatest quantity before any other portion of its prey. 

 I have also frequently seen it eat the fruit of the Moreton Bay fig- 

 tree, running about under the tree, and, after selecting the ripest that 

 had fallen, opening them and sucking out the pulp. One morning 

 I observed it commence a meal upon a rat which had just been killed 

 and given to it. The first process on receiving the prey was, as usual, 

 to suck all the blood from those parts in which it found any had been 

 retained ; it then began rolling the rat upon the ground with its fore 

 paws, but for what purpose this operation was performed I could 

 not ascertain. After the prey had been treated in this manner for 

 some time, it pulled out the intestines, and devoured some portion 

 of them before eating any other of the fleshy part. On approaching 

 the animal at this time, it would dart away with the prey, uttering 

 shrill cries, and was exceedingly savage if any attempt was made to 

 take it away. When running about in the garden, it would insert 

 its long, flexible snout into the earth, root it up, and seemed to be 

 eagerly devouring worms or any similar food it found there. It evi- 

 dently possessed an acute sense of smell; for after smelling about for 

 some time it would insert the snout to some depth into the earth 

 in the selected place, and secure the worm or grub which it had 

 been seeking. — Proc. Zool. Soc. June 26, 1860. 



