NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 103 



armatus of South America, whence it may have been intro- 

 duced. There seems to be no recent evidence of its continued 

 presence on the island, although Austin H. Clark in 1904 was 

 told by the natives that it still occurred. 



BLACK-TAILED HUTIA; "ANDARAZ" 

 CAPROMYS MELANURUS Poey 



Caprornys melanura Poey, Monatsber. preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1864, p. 384 



(Manzanillo, southeastern Cuba). 

 FIGS.: Dobson, 1884, pis. 18-21 (colored figure of exterior; anatomy); Bucher, 1937, 



pis. 10-12 (photographs of captives). 



So far as known, the black-tailed hutia is confined to ex- 

 treme eastern Cuba in the wooded mountains. Its circum- 

 scribed range places it in a somewhat dangerous position, and 

 although it may continue to exist there for years to come, 

 changes incident to human influence, the clearing of forest, 

 the introduction of the mongoose, and hunting for food are 

 likely to reduce its numbers more and more. 



This is a slightly smaller animal than the common hutia of 

 Cuba, Capromys pilorides, less clumsily built, and of more 

 arboreal habits. With a body slightly larger than that of a 

 muskrat, and with a bushy tail about as long as the body 

 without the head, the general color is a mixed blackish or 

 brownish and buffy, due to the presence of scattered all-black 

 hairs and more abundant hairs having smoky-brown bases 

 and pale-buff y or ochraceous tips. The forehead and cheeks 

 are nearly clear dark brown or clearer brown, as are the hands 

 and the central area of the hind feet. The under side is similar 

 but paler, mixed grayish and brown, clearer brown on the 

 throat. There is a varying amount of clear white, which may 

 include only the axillae and inside of the thighs, or, as in one 

 specimen examined, the white may include the entire upper 

 throat, the under side of the arms, and continue over the 

 entire mid ventral surface to the inner side of the thighs, the 

 ankles, and the outer margins of the hind feet. The tail is 

 thickly haired, tapering, with abundant somewhat-stiff black- 

 ish to maroon hairs from one-half to three-quarters of an inch 

 long. Total length about 26 inches, of which the tail consti- 

 tutes about 11 or 12 inches. The claws are slender and sharply 

 curved for climbing, and the soles are granular for better 

 holding. 



