566 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1917. 



teeth without admixture of characters derived from jackal, coyote, 

 or any South American member of the dog family ; but the animal is 

 of very ancient origin and its actual wolf-like ancestor is not for a 

 certainty laiown. 



Another very interesting dog is the dingo {Cams dingo) of Aus- 

 tralia. It is found in a wild state, and also, it is said, in a semi- 

 domesticated state among the natives of that country. It has been 

 generally believed that the dingo was introduced by man into Aus- 

 tralia at some early time but there is some evidence, furnished by 

 fossil remains, that it existed there with some of the extinct mar- 

 supials at a period earlier than man is surely known in that region. 

 In color the dingo is usually reddish or rufous-tawny, although indi- 

 viduals lighter or darker in color than the average specimens are 

 known to occur in an apparently wild state. Whatever the true 

 origin of the dingo it is certainly as truly a wild animal in Australia 

 in modern times as any of the native marsupials or the rat-like 

 rodents. 



RACCOONS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



The common raccoon {Procyon lotor) has a sj)ecial yard near the 

 elephant houses, with a fine tree in which the animals of the colony 

 may be seen sunning themselves in the topmost branches. South 

 American rei^resentatives of the coon famil}^, the kdnkajou {Potos 

 flavus) and the coati-mundi {Nasua narlca) are also kept in the park. 

 Both of these animals occur northward throughout much of Central 

 America and Mexico, and the coati-mundi has been captured in 

 southern Arizona. 



The cacomistle {Bassariscus astutus) is a beautiful little animal 

 often called the " ring-tailed cat," " coon cat," or " civet." It is com- 

 mon along the Pacific coast of the United States and southward into 

 the Tropics. It has many structural characters of the dogs and al- 

 though usually classified with the raccoons has been made the type 

 of a distinct family. The fur at times becomes fashionable and 

 many skins are placed on the market. 



THE WEASEL FAMILY. 



This group of highly bloodthirsty mammals includes such diverse 

 types as the weasel, badger, skunk, marten, and otter. The family 

 has an extensive distribution and species are found in most parts of 

 the globe with the exception of Australia and Madagascar. 



The American badgers {Taxidea taxn^) have a fine yard in the 

 park where they can usually be seen in their characteristic occupa- 

 tion of digging in the soil. So active are they in this work that the 

 dirt within the inclosure is constantly turned over and always pre- 

 sents the appearance of a newly spaded garden. The European 



