202 



THE BEARS. 



The Kinkajou or Honey-bear (Ccrcolcptes 

 camiivohulns), fig. loi, is perhaps the most 

 extraordinary tyix; among the American Small 

 Bears. To a botly resembling that of a lemur 

 is attached a long prehensile tail like that 

 of a sajou. The head is small and round, 

 the muzzle short, the ears rounded like those 

 of a cat ; the tongue is very long and adapted 



for licking up the honey of the wild bees, of 

 which the kinkajou is extremely fond; the 

 legs are short but strong, the feet five-toed, 

 and the toes provided with sharp curved 

 semi-retractile claws. There are only 36 

 teeth, since each jaw has only three premolars 

 and two molars with flat crowns. The 

 carnassial is not developed. The prehensile 



Fig. loa. — The Binturong [Arctictis binturong)^ 



tail is used for the same purposes as that of 

 the sajous; the animal twines on to branches 

 by means of it, hangs itself up by it, and, 

 though it is covered with hair all round, even 

 uses it to seize hold of objects which it cannot 

 otherwise reach. The fur is thick, soft, of a 

 yellowish-brown colour with a golden shimmer, 

 darker on the back than on the under side. 

 The eyes gleam by night like those of a cat. 



The kinkajou lives a solitary life in the 

 primeval forests of .South America north of 

 the equator. It is exclusively a nocturnal 

 animal, spends the day in holes in trees, 

 which are carefully lined by it with some 

 material to keep them warm, and seeks its 

 food by night, that food consisting chiefly of 

 honey, insects, and sweet fruits. It is fond 

 of snatching birds out of their nests, and it 



drinks the contents of their eggs. It uses its 

 fore paws as squirrels do theirs. 



The kinkajou, according to all authorities, 

 is a true pattern of virtue in captivity, an 

 animal which carries to its grave a character 

 for faithfulness and honour, which contents 

 itself with what is given to it, is as tender 

 and attached as a child, is fond of receiving 

 caresses and returning them with interest; — 

 in short, it is really a pity that this bundle of 

 amiability, accustomed to a warm moist climate 

 and a nocturnal life, soon perishes under our 

 rude sky. 



The Small Bears of tropical Asia are 

 altogether different from those of America. 



The Binturong {Arctictis binturong), fig. 

 102, inhabits the forests of the Greater Sunda 

 Islands and the neighbouring mainland. The 



