ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1 



THK BINH RONIi OR BLACK 'BEAK CAT" 



fiiriii iind tlie f:u-t tliMl it is tlie imly pivliensilo-tailed ma 



iiMl of the Old Wori.l 



resented. These are rather hardy animals, and 

 thus more or less satisfactory for purposes of 

 exhibition. The ^Mexican stripe-tailed dog has 

 a heavier head than a fox, but the tail is long, 

 and beginning on the posterior portion of the 

 back and extending to the tip of the tail is a 

 growth of jet black hair. Upon the gray coat 

 of this animal, this character is particularly 

 marked. Most curious among these dog-like 

 forms is the raccoon dog, of north-eastern Asia. 

 Coming from a cold country, this little animal 

 is profusely haired, and appears like a walking 

 mufi'. Few of these wild canines become tame 

 because they are excessively nervous. 



Among the carnivores at the Small Mammal 

 House are several species of civets that are vet- 

 erans among the animals living in the Park. 

 Some of these specimens were among the first 

 live creatures purchased for exhibition here, 

 sixteen years ago. The most unusual carnivore 

 in the building is exhibited in the same series 

 of cages as the civets. This is what appears to 

 be a fisher. It came from Venezuela, and we 

 have been unable to locate him in the scanty 

 literature that delineates the mammalian fauna 

 of that region. He appears destined to become 

 a new species and contrary to the reputation of 

 liis allies, the mustelines, he appears to be a 

 hardv creature. As a rule the North American 



animals of this type sur\ive in captivity but a 

 few weeks. 



The most curious animal in the collections 

 described is the hyrax, a diminutive creature, 

 looking somewhat like a giiinea "pig" but actu- 

 ally occupying a position in classification that 

 immediately follows the ungulates, or the hoofed 

 animals. From the dentition of the hyrax. 

 which is the Coney of the Scriptures, there is 

 some relationship with the hippopotami. 



Students are always interested in the marsu- 

 l)ials, or pouched animals, and our small mam- 

 mal collection contains a number of them. Al- 

 most debarred from the series, owing to his 

 size, is the Australian wombat which for the 

 moment might be mistaken for the capybara as 

 size, color and bodily aspect are the same. In 

 habits the wombat is like a rodent, as it lives 

 in deep burrows. It comes forth only at night, 

 and feeds upon roots and tender plants. It 

 hardly seems possible that this ponderous and 

 odd-looking creature belongs to the same order 

 as the dainty and agile murine opossum, the 

 brilliantly spotted dasyure or the strictly carni- 

 vorous Tasmanian devil. This latter animal is 

 well worth close observation. The greater por- 

 tion of it appears to consist of the head, with 

 its powerful jaws. His appetite and temper are 

 quite in keeping with his general appearance. 



