30 Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 



stir out only by night. The glare of the day appears painful to 

 their eyes ; those which in a tamed state are exposed to it, appear 

 uncomfortable and slow in their movements, while in the dark they 

 are all dexterity. I have seen several in a tamed state, which when 

 awakened in the day seemed uncomfortable and rolled themselves 

 up again to sleep. Its tongue is long; this organ is therefore ad- 

 mirably qualified for sucking honey. When tamed it appears partial 

 to syrups or any other sweets, but indeed nothing comes amiss to 

 it, and it feeds as well on meat, yams, &c. as on fish. 



They are more common at the sea coast, but inhabit likewise the 

 Savannahs. The Macusi Indians of the Savannahs call it Yawari, 

 the Warraus at the sea-coast Uvari. 



Those coppices of wood, which rise from amidst the Savannahs 

 like verdant isles from the bosom of a lake, are the favourite abode 

 of an animal, which, if we except its plantigrade feet, approaches in 

 its habits and appearance our martens. It is the Gulo of authors. 



We observed two species in Guiana, the larger of which may be 

 identified with the Gulo barbarus. The size of the individual from 

 which the following description is taken, was two feet from the tip 

 of the nose to the insertion of the tail, the latter being eleven inches. 

 The head was broad and compact, the ears short and round, the back 

 arched, the tail low and bushy, the legs thick and strong, especially 

 the fore feet, which were somewhat shorter than the hinder. The 

 head is gray, the fur above deep brown tipped with white ; all the 

 rest of the body is of a deep shining black, with the exception of a 

 large whitish-yellow spot on the breast, which contrasts strongly 

 with the other colours. It possesses the peculiarity of being able to 

 erect all the hair of its bushy tail at pleasure. 



The whole appearance of these animals bespeaks strength, and 

 their toes being armed with crooked nails, they have every requisite 

 for indulging in their sanguinary habits. Their principal food are 

 small animals, as mice, rats, birds, and insects, but they also feed on 

 fruit and are partial to honey. As they are expert climbers, they 

 plunder the nests of the wild bees, and like the Coati or Nastia, are 

 able to run down a tree which grows perpendicular, head foremost. 

 They feed by day, and generally betake themselves to a hollow 

 tree for their night quarters. Here they likewise seek refuge when 

 hunted. They are found more commonly on Savannahs than else- 

 where, and only occasionally in the forest ; they never seek their 

 food near human habitations. They are sometimes tamed, and are 

 then gentle and playful ; but they are easily excited, and when pre- 

 paring for defence or war they erect the hair of their tail. They 



