638 THE CARNIVORES 



they are nearly white, with the exception of the muzzle, which is dark. Occasion- 

 ally, individuals are met with in which the whole of the fur, except that on the muz- 

 zle, ears, and feet, is entirely white ; one such example being shown in the upper 

 figure of our illustration. The nose has a vertical groove at its extremity, the teeth 

 are relatively large and protruding, and the aspect of the animal is ugly and for- 

 bidding. 



The range of the tayra is generally stated to extend from Mexico in the north 

 to the Rio de la Plata in the south, but it also includes some of the more southerly 

 portions of the Argentine pampas. In British Honduras tayras were observed by 

 Moore hunting in companies of from fifteen to twenty, and although some writers 

 have doubted the correctness of this statement, it is fully confirmed by Mr. Hudson 

 in Argentina. Rengger states that the tayra lives both in open grass-clad country, 

 and likewise in forest. Writing of this and the next species, Mr. Hudson says that, 

 on the pampas of Argentina, "there are two quaint-looking weasels, intensely black 

 in color, and gray on the back and flat crown. One is a large bold animal (G. bar- 

 bara) that hunts in companies ; and when these long-bodied creatures s'lt up erect, 

 glaring with beady eyes, grinning and chattering at the passer-by, they look like 

 little friars in black robes and gray cowls ; but the expression on their round faces 

 is malignant and bloodthirsty beyond anything in nature, and it would, perhaps, be 

 more decent to liken them to devils rather than to humans." 



Although largely nocturnal in its habits, the tayra will frequently hunt till 

 midday, when it seeks its lair and reposes till evening. This lair is generally either 

 the deserted burrow of an armadillo, or some hole in a tree. The food of the animal 

 consists of such Mammals as it is able to kill, such as agutis and other Rodents, but 

 it also eats birds and their eggs. In inhabited districts the tayra frequently raids 

 on poultry .houses, among the inmates of which it commits much havoc. Honey it 

 also readily eats. The nest, which is sometimes made in the cavities of rocks, 

 instead of in a hollow tree or deserted burrow, is constructed with much care. In 

 one nest, examined by Hensel, two young were found, which were then quite 

 blind, and had much the appearance of young foxes. 



This (G. mttata) is a smaller animal than the tayra, and may be 

 compared in size to a marten or an Indian mungoose. It is also 

 readily distinguished by its relatively-shorter tail, of which the length does not 

 exceed half that of the head and body, and likewise by its coloration. The latter is 

 of that peculiar type to which we have already referred, in which the under parts are 

 much darker than the upper. The snout, the under surface of the neck, and the 

 under parts of the body are very dark brown, whereas the whole of the upper sur- 

 face, from the forehead nearly to the tip of the tail, is of a uniform bluish-gray tint, 

 the individual hairs being ringed with black and white. From the forehead to the 

 shoulder the gray and brown areas are divided by a lighter band with a yellowish 

 tinge, while the tip of the tail and the ears are distinctly yellow. There is no 

 groove on the nose. The grison is found over the greater part of South America, 

 as well as in Central America and Mexico ; and there is also Allemand's grison (G. 

 allemandi] , which is of larger size, but has the same general coloration, although 

 presenting some approximation to the tayra. 



