110 THE RATEL AND COATIMONDI. 
latter, it will take a part of what is given it 
to itself. But the Ratel is a female. Can 
it be, then, that she thinks she is feeding a 
young Ratel, or sharing her meal with her 
consort ? In any case, it is clear that the 
Coatimondi has no smell which can be offen- 
sive to the Ratel, or imply some very dis- 
cordant species of animal. The long and 
powerful claws upon the fore-feet of the Coa- 
timondi are exactly of a pattern with those 
of the Ratel. For the rest, the Coatimondi 
is in look plain; for its brown colour, and 
want of every attractive peculiarity, give it 
little chance of commanding from strangers 
those attentions which fall to the Ratel. The 
party: were the more struck with this action 
of the Ratel, (so called) because the ingeni- 
ous author of a recent description of it, has 
particularly excepted mildness of temper to-. 
ward its fellow animals from among the num- 
ber of its virtues :—‘“ As far,” says this wri- 
ter, *‘ as its manners have yet been developed, 
it appears to be, with regard to man at least, 
one of the most playful and good-tempered 
of beasts, soliciting the attention of almost 
