Jfo- 2 -] ALLEX OX THE GENUS XASUA. 167 



probably unknown to them,* Buffon's figure, as well as Ids and Bris- 

 son's descriptions, leave no reasonable doubt that the name narica was 

 based on the Mexican Coati.t By writers of the first quarter of the pres- 

 ent century, the present species was virtually lost sight of, for, although 

 the name narica was more or less generally retained, it was applied to 

 a nominal species referable to the Liunaean Viverra nasua. Fischer, 

 while referring all the Coatis to one species, for which he adopted Max- 

 imilian's name Nasua social-is, wisely separated the references to the two 

 valid species under the varietal names rufa and fusca, and under these 

 heads made a judicious allocation of the synonyms of the group. The 

 first possible synonym is the " f Nasua nocturna" of Maximilian (182C), 

 based on an imperfect skin and the reports of the native hunters. He 

 says the tail shows no color-rings, but has the same mingling of tints as 

 the upper part of the body 4 It has, however, the matter of locality 

 against it, as well as the "fahl gelbrothliche Farbe" of the lower parts. 

 He refers especially to its soft thick pelage, which corresponds well 

 enough with that of the present species, but it may not be a Nasua at 

 all, as he was himself in doubt as to whether it was really this genus, and 

 as no subsequent explorer appears to have met with a Nasua in Eastern 

 Brazil having the tail colored uniformly with the back. 



Von Tschudi, however, in 1844-46, described a Nasua leucorliynclms 

 which good authorities have since identified with the Mexican Coati. His 

 diagnosis ( U X. rostro albo, cauda corporis longitudine, concolore in 

 adultis"), as well as his whole description, relates unquestionably to this 

 form, which alone can be described as having a white nose and uuicol- 

 ored tail. He appears to have based his excellent description of the 

 species upon an examination of quite a number of examples, as he 

 alludes distinctly to young as well as adult specimens, and refers to vari- 

 ous features of individual variation, and evinces a thorough knowledge 

 of the species. He gives its habitat as the interior of Brazil, remark - 



* Brisson says of Ms specimen, " Je Pai vft cliez M. Lievre Distillateur," without of- 

 fering even a conjecture as to the country whence it came. Bufibn simply tells us 

 that the original of his Coati, figured in pi. xlvii, and of which is given a detailed ac- 

 count of the anatomy as well as a figure of the skeleton (in pi. xlix), is a specimen he 

 had had alive, and that he had seen another Coati, of which he also gives a descrip- 

 tion and figures (pi. xlviii) as "Le Coati brim," without informing us whence either 

 was obtained. The last is unquestionably the Mexican Coati. 



t This species appears to have been thoroughly well known to Schreber., as his whole 

 account most emphatically shows, in evidence of which, but especially from its 

 historic interest, I transcribe the following from his account of V. narica: "Die 

 Schnauze, Lippen und Kehle weislich. . . . Der Kopf, Hals und Leib graubraun : 

 so auch der Sch wauz, der, besonders unterwarts, undeutliche dunklere Ringe hat ; 

 die uiitere Seite des Raises, die Schulteru, Brust und der Bauch weislich ; der Raum 

 zwischen den Hinterschenkelii fast gelb. Jedes Haar ist in der Mitte schwarz, an der 

 Spitze gelbbraun. . . . Das Vaterlaiid ist siidliche Amerika. . . . Xach 

 Europa koiimit es weit seltener, als das rothe [ V. nasua]." Saugt., Th. iii, p. 433. 



t "Der Schwanz zeigt koine farblichen Riuge, sondern ist von derselbeu Mischuug 

 wie die oberen Theile des Korpers." 



