NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 105 



life and nocturnal habits will help to keep them from exter- 

 mination for a considerable time to come. 



So far as known the genus Capromys is confined to Cuba and 

 the Isle of Pines. No fossil species are to be found on any of 

 the other West Indian Islands, which seems a significant fact 

 in the distribution. The two other large species, C. prehensilis 

 and C. pilorides, are represented by only slightly differing 

 races on the Isle of Pines, relictus and gundlachi, respectively. 

 Bucher (1937) has brought out some interesting details in 

 which their habits differ. Since, however, neither species 

 seems in immediate danger of extermination, they may be 

 omitted here. 



DWARF CUBAN HUTIA 



CAPROMYS NANA G. M. Allen 



Capromys nana G. M. Allen, Proc. New England Zool. Club, vol. 6, p. 54, 1917 ("Cave 



deposit in the Sierra de Hato Nuevo, Province of Matanzas, Cuba"). 

 FIGS. : Allen, G. M., 1918, pi., figs. 1-5; Morrison-Scott, 1939, pis. 5-7 (skull and teeth). 



This small Capromys was first made known from jaws found 

 in recent cave deposits at two localities in Cuba. Subsequently 

 it was found living in the great Zapata Swamp, on the southern 

 coast of middle-western Cuba, south of the original locality. 



About the size of a Norway rat, this is typical Capromys, 

 with a rather coarse pelage of all-black hairs mixed with others 

 having a buffy or ochraceous tip, except that on the muzzle 

 and in front of the ear the particolored hairs have whitish tips 

 instead. The fingers and sides of the hind feet are whitish, 

 but the latter have the central area darkened. The tail, 

 which is slightly shorter than the combined length of head and 

 body, has the long hair of the back continued to its basal 

 three-quarters of an inch, beyond which the hairs become 

 suddenly shorter and somewhat sparse, so that the scaling of 

 the tail shows through. The upper side of the tail and the 

 terminal inch of its under side are black; the lower side is 

 sharply marked off and ochraceous-buff. Total length, about 

 375 mm.; tail, 176; hind foot, 45. 



When first described this dwarf hutia was supposedly 

 extinct. It was described on the basis of ten small jaws from 

 cave deposits probably made by barn owls, in the Sierra de 

 Hato Nuevo and near Limones in western-central Cuba. 

 Soon after, Dr. H. E. Anthony (1919) procured no less than 



