270 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



inner fur, which is especially dense on the sides 

 and back. The ground color varies on the back 

 between red and grayish brown, and merges into a 

 yellowish tinge on the under surface. The forehead 

 and top of the head are yellowish gray, the lips are 

 white, the ears brownish black behind and grayish 

 yellow in front. A round, white spot is placed 

 above each eye, another on the outer corners of the 

 eyelids, and two, which sometimes merge into one, 

 stand under the eyes; a white band runs down along 

 the root of the nose. The tail is ringed alternately 

 with brownish yellow and brownish black. 



Description of Hensel considers the Narica {Nasua 



the Narica, a narica) of Central America an en- 

 Distinct Species, tirely distinct species. It is about 

 the same size as the Coati and the general coloring 

 also recalls the latter. The upper surface of the fur 

 is more or less dark, according to whether the light 

 or dark hue of the hair-tips prevails in the individual 

 animal. A ring around the eye, a band commencing 

 over the eye and running toward the tip of the nose, 

 and the front part of the snout above and below, are 

 yellowish white ; the throat and sides of the neck 

 are slightly darker, the rest of the under surface 

 brownish, the feet of a pronounced brown. 



The Coatis in We are indebted to Azara, Hensel, 

 His Wild Rengger and Prince von Wied for 

 State. detailed descriptions of the Coati as 



it is seen in the wild state. 



" The Coati," says Hensel, " is so common in 

 Brazil that I was enabled to purchase as many as 

 two hundred skulls. Comparison of these skulls 

 and observation of the Coati in the wilderness lead 

 me to the conclusion that the old males, which have 

 been considered a distinct species, lead a solitary 

 life. At a certain age they leave the troop of which 

 they have so far been members in company with 

 the females, and after that they return to the troop 

 only during the breeding season. Solitary females 

 are scarcely ever seen ; and if a single one be occa- 

 sionally found, it has probably been driven away 

 from the troop by hunters, or the troop has been 

 quite near but has remained unnoticed by the sports- 

 man. The Coatis are diurnal animals. They rest 

 at night and display an incessant activity from 

 morning till evening. During the day they seem to 

 be perpetually wandering, leaving no place acces- 

 sible to them unsearched. Their food undoubtedly 

 consists of everything edible in the animal and veg- 

 etable world. They also like to enter plantations 

 to plunder the maize fields, especially while the 

 grains are still tender." 



The Daily 



Small animals of all kinds become 



Life of the their prey; and they seem to regard 

 Coati. insects and their larvae, worms and 



Snails as dainties. When they have scented a 

 worm in the ground or a grub in some rotten 

 wood, they take the greatest pains to possess them- 

 selves of this prey; they eagerly dig with their fore- 

 paws, put their nose into the excavated hole from 

 time to time and sniff, like Dogs which hunt for 

 Mice in the field, until they have attained their ob- 

 ject. The morning is spent noisily in whistling, dig- 

 ging and rooting, climbing and quarreling. When it 

 begins to get hot in the forest, the troop looks out 

 for a suitable place for a nap. A well-placed tree 

 or a convenient bush is picked out and each com- 

 fortably stretches itself on a branch and takes its 

 ease in sleep. In the afternoon the wandering is 

 resumed, until the task of finding a good sleeping- 

 place at night interrupts it. If Coatis notice a foe, 



they immediately apprize their companions of it by 

 loud, whistling sounds, and hurriedly climb a tree; 

 all others follow this example and in a minute the 

 whole troop is distributed on the branches at the 

 top. If one ascends after them or only gives the 

 trunk a sound blow with an axe, they go out farther 

 on the branches, jump to the ground and run away. 

 If they are undisturbed, they descend from the tree 

 head first. They turn their hind-paws outward and 

 backward and hold fast with them to the trunk. 

 On branches they proceed cautiously and do not 

 dare to take leaps, as Monkeys do, for instance, 

 from one tree to another, though they could do so if 

 they would try, for their agility is scarcely inferior 

 to that of the Monkeys or Cats. On the level 

 ground they are much clumsier than in the branches 

 of a tree. They either walk, holding their tails 

 vertically upward, or jump in short bounds, always 

 touching the ground with but one half of their 

 soles. It is only when standing or sitting on their 

 haunches that they step on the entire sole. Their 

 running gait looks awkward, but consists really of 

 a gallop, in which much ground is quickly covered. 

 They seem to fear the water and enter it only when 

 hard pressed ; yet they are sufficiently good swim- 

 mers to cross rivers and streams. 



Of their senses, that of smell is undoubtedly the 

 most acute; the one next in keenness is the sense 

 of hearing, while sight, taste and touch are relatively 

 weak. At night they do not see, and even by day- 

 light their sight is not very keen, and sensibility 

 in the animal seems to be nearly confined to the 

 proboscis-like nose, which is also the principal organ 

 of touch. 



According to Rengger the young Coatis make 

 their appearance in October, from three to five in 

 number, in a hollow in a tree or in the ground, a 

 ditch grown with thick bushes, or some other se- 

 cluded nook. Here the young are kept hidden until 

 they can follow the mother on all her prowlings. 



How The white inhabitants of South Amer- 



the Coati is ica and Mexico hunt the Coati prin- 

 Hunted. cipally for pleasure. They roam the 

 woods with a pack of hounds, which track a troop. 

 At sight of the Dogs, the Coatis flee, screaming, to 

 the nearest trees and are shot. It requires a well- 

 aimed shot, if one wishes to get them into one's pos- 

 session; for those which are wounded lie down on 

 an embranchment and can only be dislodged with 

 much effort. A single Dog cannot cope with this 

 animal. The Coatis which live solitary know espe- 

 cially well how to use their teeth to good purpose, 

 turning courageously on any Dog which may happen 

 to be near, screaming fiercely and biting viciously. 

 The victory is dearly bought, at any rate, for the 

 Coati sometimes incapacitates five or six Dogs 

 before yielding to superior power. The flesh is 

 liked not only by natives, but also by Europeans. 

 How the Coati In captivity, the Coati becomes at- 



Acts in Cap- tached to people, although it never 

 tiuity. shows any particular preference for 



its keeper, however tame it may be. It plays with 

 everybody, Monkey-fashion, and also with its ani- 

 mal companions, such as Dogs, Cats, Chickens and 

 Ducks. It is unsafe, however, to disturb it when it 

 eats, for even the most domesticated Coati will bite 

 men or beasts if they try to take its food away. 

 Independent or even fierce traits enter into the 

 composition of its character. It by no means sub- 

 mits to the will of Man, but becomes furious when 

 compelled to obey. Not even blows are of much 



