T H E T U C A N, &c. 271 



the armadillos are ftill better food, except the 

 nine-banded armadillo, which has a ftrong fmell 

 of mufk ; that, after the armadillos, the paca is 

 the bell game, becaufe its flefh is wholefome and 

 fat : The next in order are the agouti and a- 

 kouchi. They likewile maintain, that the red 

 couguar is iifed as food, and that its flella has 

 the taile of veal. 



XVIII. 



The TUCAN, or MEXICAN SHREW *. 



Fernandes has given the name of Tucan to 

 a fmall quadruped of New Spain, whofe fize, fi- 

 gure, and natural habits, make it approach near- 

 er to the mole than to any other fpecies. It 

 appears to be the fame animal defcribed by Se- 

 ba under the denomination of the red mole of 

 America f ; at leaft, the defcriptions of the two 



authors 



* Mexican fhrew, with a fharp nofe ; fmall round ears ; 

 without fight; two long fore teeth above and below ; thick, 

 fat, flefhy body, fliort legs, fo that the belly almoft touches 

 the ground ; long crooked claws ; tawny hair ; fhort tailj 

 length from nofe to tail, nine inches; Pennanf s Sympf. of quad, 

 p. 310. 



t Seba, voL i. p. 51. tab. 32. fig. 2. 



