|8 A HISTORY OF 



rees fruits, or corn; insects themselves cannot escape it, and if left at 

 liberty in a garden, it will feed upon snails, worms, and beetles ; but il 

 has a particular fondness for sweets of every kind, and to be possessed 

 of these, in its wild state, it incurs every danger. Though it will eat 

 its provisions dry, it will for choice dip them in water, if it happens 

 to be in the way; it has one peculiarity which few other animals 

 have been found to possess, it drinks as well by lapping like the dog, 

 as by sucking like the horse. 



CHAPTER Xin. 



THE COATIMONDI. 



THE first peculiarity with which this animal strikes the spectator 

 is the extreme length of its snout, which, in some measure, resembles 

 that of the hog, but elongated to a surprising degree ; it bears some 

 distant resemblance to the animal last described, except that the neck 

 and the body are longer, the fur shorter, and the eyes smaller ; but 

 its principal distinction, as was said before, consists in the shape of its 

 nose ; the upper jaw being an inch longer than the lower, and the 

 snout, which is moveable in every division, turning up at the end. 

 Like the racoon, it sits up on the hinder legs with great ease, and in 

 this position, with both paws carries the food to its mouth. 



This animal is very subject to eat its own tail, which is rather longer 

 than its body ; but this strange appetite is not peculiar to the coati 

 alone ; the mococo, and some of the monkey kinds do the same, and 

 seem to feel no pain in wounding a part of the body, so remote from 

 the centre of circulation. 



It seems possessed of the same playful qualities, and indiscriminate 

 appetites, with the animal described in the last chapter ; if left at li- 

 berty in a state of tameness, it will pursue the poultry, and destroy 

 every living thing that it has strength to conquer ; though it is play- 

 ful with its keeper, yet it seems obstinately bent against receiving any 

 instruction, and neither threats nor caresses can induce it to practise 

 any arts to which it is not naturally inclined. When it sleeps it rolls 

 itself up in a lump, and in that position often continues for fourteen or 

 fifteen hours together. 



