HAUNTS AND HABITS OP THE FAUNA. 



361 



Order VII. — Pachydermata. 



Cuenco, or 



Pecari . Bicotyles. 



Collared Cu- 

 enco . . Bicotyles Torquntus. 



Red Cuenco „ Labiatus. 



Order VIII. — Ruminantia. 

 Deer or Biche Cervus. 



Cervus simplicicornis, 

 or Guazoupita. 



Order IX. — Cetacea. 

 Herbivora. 

 Manati, or La- 



mantin . . Trichecus Manatus. 



Carnivora. 



Balaznoptera. 

 Whale, or 



Baleine . Balcena Bo ops. 



These are the mammif ers which are known to exist in Trinidad. 

 Of several of them there are varieties : for instance, two agoutis, 

 distinguishable by their colour, one being much darker than the 

 other, and perhaps smaller in size ; two lapas, likewise differing 

 in colour, one being fawn, and the other brown coloured ; the 

 former also with whitish feet, and of a larger size. There are, 

 again, two varieties or even species of the guazoupita, one larger, of 

 a darker colour, with antlers covered with a soft skin, and having 

 habits somewhat dissimilar from those of the more common kind ; 

 it is apparently more solitary, and when chased by dogs, starts 

 off at once in a straightforward direction : albinos are not rare 

 among the guazoupitas. 



The habits, aliments, and resorts of these mammif ers are varied. 

 The opossum, agouti, and deer seem to prefer the neighbourhood 

 of plantations, where they find an abundance of food — viz., the 

 opossum, fruits and fowls ; the agouti, fruits and roots ; and the 

 deer, maize, peas, manioc, &c. In the same localities squirrels, 

 lapas, and tatous are met with ; the squirrel chiefly infesting 

 cacao plantations, in which it sometimes commits great ravages. 

 The pecari is always found in the high forests, where it feeds 

 upon roots, fruits, and leaves, and even upon snakes and reptiles. 

 The tiger-cat, taira, great and small ant-eaters, and the tatou, 

 also haunt the high woods — the latter preferring, generally, low 

 and soft ground, where it can grub in search of worms, which form 

 its principal food. The racoon does not venture out of the man- 

 grove swamps, where it finds an inexhaustible supply of crabs. 

 The otter is found in ravines, where it can easily seize the fish 

 upon which it preys. Both the howling and weeping monkeys 

 shun the presence of man ; the latter may be said to abound 

 principally in the south-eastern part of the island, whilst the 

 former is often heard in Cimaronero, and the northern mountains 



