156 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



from Ecuador to Nicaragua, and in Panama it ascends from sea level 

 to 5,000 feet altitude. Two closely allied forms occur within our 

 limits. 



BASSARICYON GABBII GABBII Allen 

 Bushy-tailed Olingo 



[Bassaricyoii] gabbii Allen, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, p. 23, 

 April 18, 1876. Type from Talamanca, Costa Rica. 



The known forms of the genus agree closely in essential characters 

 and may prove to be geographic races all assignable subspecifically to 

 Bassaricyon gabbii. The distinguishing characteristics of the species 

 are the same as those given for the genus, but the grayer color of the 

 face when contrasted with that of Potos may be pointed out as an 

 additional aid in avoiding confusion with that genus. 



Bassaricyon has been regarded as a rare animal, but the fact that 

 it was met with at several localities and on several occasions at a 

 single locality in Panama leads me to believe that it is rather common. 

 While much less abundant than Potos its apparent rarity may have 

 been due to failure in some instances to distinguish it from that 

 animal when specimens were chosen, and to a lack of knowledge of 

 its habits. 



As in many other groups cranial modifications furnish more 

 reliable diflferential characters than color. No material showing the 

 color of B. gabbii at the type locality is available, but a specimen 

 from near Gatun agrees very closely in cranial details with the type 

 and coming, as it does, from within the same general faunal area 

 may be regarded as typical. In this specimen the face is gray as 

 usual in the genus, and not at all like Huet's (1883, pi. I) figure of 

 the animal from " Caimito, dans la province de Correo, un peu au 

 nord de Panama " ( = the vicinity of Chorrera, about 17 miles south- 

 west of Panama) and only about 30 miles from Gatun. Huet's 

 figures of the skull, on the other hand, agree well with the type of 

 B. gabbii and on geographic grounds might be expected to represent 

 that species. Since the skulls from Gatun and near Chorrera agree 

 closely with that of the type, typical B. gabbii is assumed to range 

 from Costa Rica eastward to the Canal Zone. In eastern Panama 

 typical B. gabbii is replaced by subspecies B. gabbii orinomiis from 

 which it differs in more brownish color, shorter postorbital processes, 

 larger audital bulla?, and correspondingly narrower basioccipital. 



The species seems to be arboreal and owing to nocturnal activity 

 is likely to be overlooked unless special search is made for it. While 

 using a hunting lamp one night in the forest along the lower course 



