Panda.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



191 



ingly. In its natural state, in fact, the racoon is 

 nocturnal, and it is most probably from the circum- 

 stance of the eyes being incapable of sustaining day- 

 light, that blindness from cataract (opacity of the 

 lens) is so common in these animals in a state of 

 captivity, when they are liable to be roused up, and 

 are often kept awake during the whole or greater 

 part of the day. 



The gait of the racoon on the ground is oblique, 

 and when it moves quickly its mode of progression 

 consists of a series of bounds, reminding us of the 

 lemurs, but with nothing of their grace and light- 

 ness. When taken young this animal is easily 

 tamed, becomes playful, and is fond of being 

 noticed and caressed, but is at the same time very 

 capricious and easily oifended ; and to some per- 

 sons, without any apparent cause, it will show from 

 the iirst marked signs of hostility. When enraged 

 or desirous of attacking a person, the racoon ad- 

 vances, as we have often witnessed, with arched 

 back and bristly hairs, and with it^ chin or under 

 jaws close to the ground, uttering gruff sounds of 

 displeasure. If once injured it seldom forgives its 

 enemy. 



It greedily attacks poultry within its reach, and is 

 as cunning and destructive as the fox ; though, ac- 

 cording to M. Blanquart des Salines, it only devours 

 their heads, which agrees with Dr. Richardson's 

 observations. 



When roused from its diurnal indolence, the ra- 

 coon is restless, inquisitive, and prying ; it climbs 

 with the greatest skill, in the same manner as a bear, 

 ascending and descending a tree, a pole, or branches 

 fastened in its apartment, with the utmost address. 

 It is apt to become very fat, and its flesh is said 

 to be palatable. The fur is used in the hat manu- 

 facture, and the skins are imported in tolerable 

 numbers. 



6 



Genus Ailurus.—BentaX formula : Incisors -, Ca- 



6 



nines ^~^ ; Molars = 36. In dentition this 



1—1 5—3 



genus approaches that of the racoons ; but the mo- 

 lars have their crowns studded with sharp tubercles, 

 which, as in General Hardwicke's specimen, become 

 worn down by long usage. The molars of the 

 upper jaw are broad and large, those of the lower 

 jaw narrow. Fig. 8.53 represents the teeth of the 

 Panda ; a and b are the incisors, or front teeth, of 

 the upper and lower jaw. 



854.— The Panda 

 (Ailurusftdgens). The Panda is an inhabitant of 

 the Himalayan Hills, between Nepal and the Snowy 

 Mountains, and was first discovered by General 

 Hardwicke, who published a description in the fif- 

 teenth volume of the ' Linn. Trans.' Subsequently 

 M. Duvaucel sent the skin of the animal to Paris, 

 and a description and figure were published by F. 

 Cuvier in the fifteenth number of the 'Histoire des 

 Mammiffires,' which appeared prior to the paper by 

 General Hardwicke. 



The Panda is a short-muzzled animal, covered 

 with full soft fur, and having a tail of moderate 

 length, resembling a lady's boa. In size the animal 

 equals a badger, and is of a robust figure. Its limbs 

 are stout: its feet five-toed ; but the soles, instead of 

 being naked, are covered with thick close wool of a 

 pure white in some specimens, of a greyish white in 

 others, forming a singular contrast to the deep 

 black of the legs and under surface. The claws are 

 short, sharp, and semi-retractile. Fig. 855: a re- 

 presents the anterior foot, left side ; b, the hinder 

 foot, right side ; c, the sole of one of the posterior 

 feet, showing its woolly covering. The ears are 

 short, pointed, and lined and tufted with white fur. 

 The colour of the upper surface is beautiful fulvous 

 red, the head being much paler ; the muzzle is 

 white, with a red dash beneath the eyes ; the tail is 

 banded red and yellow, but not very strongly ; the 

 limbs and under parts are abruptly black. The fur, 

 which is very full and deep, consists of a woolly 

 undercoat, with long soft hairs overlaying it. 



We learn from General Hardwicke that the 

 haunts of the Panda " are about rivers and moun- 

 tain torrents." It lives much in trees, and feeds on 

 birds and the smaller mammalia; it is frequently 

 discovered by its loud cry or call resembling the 

 word wha, ol>en repeating the same ; hence is de- 

 rived one of the local names by which it is known. 

 It is also called the Chitwa. 



Genus Nasua : — 



8.56.— The Brown Coati 

 ( Nasua ftisca). The Coatis, or Coati-mondis (Nasua), 

 are restricted to the warmer regions of the American 

 continent, and in dentition and general economy 

 approximate to the racoons. 



These curious animals, formerly placed by Lin- 

 naeus with the ViverriB, cannot easily be confounded 

 with those of any other group. 



They may be known at once by_ the peculiar 

 elongation of their snout, which projects consider- 



ably beyond the lower jaw. This snout is not, as 

 in the hog, supported by a continuation of the 

 nasal bone, but is a cylindrical and flexible pro- 

 boscis, with a truncated extremity, forming a sort 

 of disc where the nostrils open, and altogether 

 giving a singular character to their physiognomy. 

 "They turn it about in various directions while in 

 search for food, and root with it in the eaith in 

 quest of worms and insects. The eyes are small, 

 but quick ; the ears moderate and rounded ; the 

 body long, deep, and compressed ; the tail long ; 

 the limbs short and stout ; the toes five on each 

 foot, and armed with large powerful claws, well 

 adapted for digging. The fur is rather coarse, but 

 long, full, and close ; the tail is ringed with alter- 

 nate bands of dark and pale tints — in the red 

 coati (Nasua rufa) of rufous, in the brown coati 

 (N. fusca) of dusky brown. The canine teeth are 

 remarkable for their size and sharpness, especially 

 those of the upper jaw, which are compressed, and 

 have a cutting edge both before and behind. 



In captivity these animals sleep much during the 

 day, and are most active as the evening advances, 

 at which time they traverse their cage, turn their 

 snout from side to side, and pry into every corner. 

 They do not, however, pass the whole of the day in 

 sleep, but are active for hours together, retiring to 

 rest only at intervals. Their temper is capricious : 

 we have, indeed, seen some individuals tolerably 

 good-tempered, but most are savage, and their bite 

 is very severe. 



In drinking, the coati laps like a dog ; but as its 

 long snout would be in the way during this opera- 

 tion, it turns it up, so as to prevent its being sub- 

 merged. 



These animals are highly gifted with the sense of 

 smell ; they examine everything with their long 

 nose, which is in almost perpetual motion. Their 

 temper is irritable and capricious ; — they cannot 

 be trusted, even by those with whose persons they 

 are the most familiar, and consequently, are not to 

 be touched without great caution. Their voice, 

 seldom exerted, is, under ordinary circumstances, a 

 gentle hissing ; but when irritated or alarmed, they 

 utter a singularly shrill cry, something like that of 

 a bird. They defend themselves vigorously when 

 attacked by a dog, or any animal, and inflict 

 desperate wounds. Like the racoon, they are said 

 to be fond of the juice of the sugar-cane, but we 

 know not on what authority. Azara does not 

 allude to this partiality ; it is, however, far from 

 being improbable. In climbing they descend head 

 foremost, being in this respect unlike the bear, 

 which animal they far surpass in activy, being 

 indeed better climbers than even the cat, and 

 exceeded among their own tribe only by the kin- 

 kajou, whose prehensile tail gives it a great ad- 

 vantage. 



In their native climate they tenant the woods, 

 living for the most part in small troops among the 

 trees, which they climb with great address, and 

 prey upon birds, which they surprise, rifling also 

 their nests of eggs, or unfledged young. Worms, 

 insects, and roots form also part of their diet. 



The species presented in the cut is the brown 

 coati (N. fusca). Its colours are very variable, the 

 brown being more or less tinged with yellow, and 

 sometimes shaded with black ; the under surface is 

 yellowish grey; the snout is generally black, and 

 several spots or marks of greyish yellow encircle 

 the eye. It is a native of Brazil, Guiana, and 

 Paraguay. 



6 



Genus Cercoleptes. — Dental formula :— Incisors-, 



Canines _^L , Molars = 36. 



1_1 .5—5 



Fig. a57 represents the Teeth of the Kinkajou. 



858, 859.— The Kwkajou 

 {Cercoleptes Cavrlivolmlus). Of the genus Cerco- 

 leptes one species only is known, the Kinkajou, 

 Potto, Mexican Weasel, or Yellow Macauco of Pen- 

 nant ; the true affinities and situation of which in 

 the system of mammalia seem sadly to have puzzled 

 naturalists. 



The kinkajou is a native of Southern and Inter- 

 tropical America, where it appears to be extensively 

 spread, and is known under different appellations. 

 In New Granada it is called, by the native Indians, 

 Gushumbi, and Manaviri in the mission of Rio 

 Negro. In its manners it much resembles the 

 coati-mondi (Nasua fusca), but differs from that 

 animal not only in the shape of the head, which is 

 short and compact, but also in having a prehensile 

 tail. Of recluse and solitary habits, the kinkajou 

 lives for the most part among the branches of 

 trees in large woods or forests, and is in every re- 

 spect well adapted for climbing: being, however, 

 decidedly nocturnal, it is but little exposed to the 

 observation even of those who sojourn among the 

 places frequented by it. During the day it sleeps 

 in its retreat, rolled up like a ball, and, if roused, 



appears torpid and inactive. As soon, however, 

 as the dusk of evening sets in, it is fully awake, 

 and is all activity, displaying the utmosi restless- 

 ness and address, climbing from branch to branch 

 in quest of food, and using its prehensile tail, to 

 assist itself in its manoeuvres. Few mammalia are 

 more incommoded by light than the kinkajou : we 

 have seen the pupils of the eyes contracted to a 

 mere round point, even when the rays of the sun 

 have not been very bright, while the animal at the 

 same time testified by its actions its aversion to the 

 unwelcome glare. 



In size, the kinkajou is equal to a full-grown cat, 

 but its limbs are much stouter and more muscular, 

 and its body more firmly built. In walking, the 

 sole of the foot is applied fairly to the ground, as in 

 the case of the badger. Its claws are strong and 

 curved, the toes on each foot being five. The ears 

 are short and rounded. The fur is full, but not loner, 

 and very closely set. There is no animal among 

 the Carnivora (as far as our eiperience goes) in 

 which the tongue is endowed with more remarkable 

 powers of extension. Among ruminating animals, 

 the giraffe is, as we know, capable of extending this 

 organ to a very great length, and of using it much 

 in the same manner as the elephant does the ex- 

 tremity of his proboscis, drawing down by it the 

 twigs and boughs of the trees, upon the leaves of 

 which the creature feeds ; in like manner can the 

 kinkajou thrust forth its tongue, a long and slender 

 instrument, capable of being inserted into crevices 

 or fissures, in search of insects, reptiles, or the eggs 

 of birds. Baron Humboldt informs us that this ani- 

 mal is an extensive devastator of the nests of the 

 wild bee, whence the Spanish missionaries have 

 given it the name of " honey-bear," and that it uses 

 its long tongue to lick up the honey from the cells 

 of the comb. In addition, however, to this food, 

 birds, eggs, small animals, roots, and fruits consti- 

 tute the diet of the kinkajou ; and, as we have seen, 

 it will draw these articles towards it with ils tongue, 

 when presented just within its reach. In drinking 

 it laps like a dog, and also makes use of its fore- 

 paws occasionally in holding food, and even in con- 

 veying it to the mouth, as well as in seizing its 

 prey. In its aspect there is something of gentle- 

 ness and good-nature ; and in captivity it is ex- 

 tremely playful, familiar, and fond of being noticed. 

 In its natural state, however, it is sanguinary and 

 resolute. 



An individual of this species died at the gardens 

 of the Zoological Society : it had lived in the pos- 

 session of the Society about seven years, and was 

 remarkable for gentleness and its playful disposition. 

 During the greater part of the day it was usually 

 asleep, rolled up in the inner partition of a box of its 

 large cage ; this, indeed, was invariably the case in 

 the morning, unless purposely disturbed, but in the 

 afternoon it would often voluntarily come out, tra- 

 verse its cage, take food, and play with those to 

 whom it was accustomed. Clinging to the top wires 

 of its cage with its hind-paws and tail, it would thus 

 suspend itself, swinging backwards and forwards, 

 and assuming a variety of antic positions. When 

 thus hanging, it could bring up its body with the 

 greatest ease, so as to cling with its fore-paws as 

 well as the hind pair to the wires, and in this man- 

 ner it would travel up and down its cage with the 

 utmost address, every now and then thrusting forth 

 its long tongue between the wires, as if in quest of 

 food, which if offered outside its cage, it would 

 generally endeavour to draw in with this organ. It 

 was very fond of being stroked and gently scratched, 

 and when at play with any one it knew, it would 

 pretend to bite, seizing the hand or fingers with its 

 teeth, as a dog will do when gambolling with its 

 master, but without hurting or intending injury. As 

 the evening came on, its liveliness and restlessness 

 would increase. It was then full of animation, 

 traversing the space allotted to it in every direction, 

 examining every object within its reach, rolling 

 and tumbling about, and swinging to and fro from 

 the wires of the cage : nor was its good-humour 

 abated ; it would gambol and play with its keepers, 

 and exhibit in every movement the most surprising 

 energy. In this state of exercise it would pass the 

 night, retiring to rest on the dawn of the morning. 

 The age of this individual is not ascertained; the 

 state of its teeth, however, which are much worn 

 down, shows it to have attained an advanced period ; 

 its colour was a pale yellowish grey, inclining to 

 tawny — the hairs, in certain lights, have a glossy ap- 

 pearance. Its dissection after death fully confirmed 

 the propriety of assigning it a place among the 

 plantigrade Carnivora. 



The Binturong (Arctitii Binturong, Temminck ; 

 Tetides ater, F. Cuv.) seems to take the place of 

 the kinkajou in the forests of Java and Sumatra. 

 These animals are prehensile-tailed and arboreal, 

 and resemble the racoons in the principal details of 

 their dentition. They live both on animal and ve- 

 getable food, and are particularly fond of plantains; 

 they also eat eggs and birds. 



