NO. 5 MAMMALS OF PANAMA — GOLDMAN 1 29 



Like the other forms of the group the Darien agouti is shy and 

 apparently mainly nocturnal in habits ; but if carefully searched for 

 it may be found abroad early in the morning or late in the evening, 

 and occasionally during the middle of the day, especially in wet 

 weather. They become alarmed at the slightest noise and scamper 

 away, often giving the characteristic squeak or short bark eh-h — 

 eh-h from which the native name " nequi " is derived. The usual 

 method of hunting them is to proceed slowly and cautiously, mainly 

 along trails through the forest, or wait in the vicinity of their 

 holes until they come out. One day during the dry season, I 

 heard a rustling noise in the dry leaves, and remaining motion- 

 less soon saw an agouti which came rapidly nearer and was shot 

 as it stopped suddenly about 20 yards away. The Indians and 

 native colored population hunt the agouti for its flesh and it is 

 one of the favorite game animals of the region. As Dasyprocta 

 isthmica, Anthony (1916, p. 370) records specimens from Boca de 

 Cupe, Chepigana, Cituro and Real de Santa Maria. 



Specimens examined : Aruza, 1 ; Boca de Cupe, 3 ' ; Cana, 6 ; 

 Chepigana, 2 1 ; Cituro, i 1 ; Mount Pirre (type), 1; Real de Santa 

 Maria, 2. 1 



DASYPROCTA PUNCTATA NUCHALIS Goldman 



Black-naped Agouti 



Dasyprocta punctata nuchalis Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. 

 30, p. 113, May 23, 1917. Type from Divala, Chiriqui, Panama. 



The black-naped agouti inhabiting the comparatively arid low- 

 lands near the Pacific coast of the southwestern part of the republic 

 is a handsome subspecies easily distinguished from its geographic 

 neighbors by the contrasting colors of the upper parts. The black- 

 nape, tawny back, and buffy rump present a color combination 

 unusual in the group. 



The specimens on which D. p. nuchalis is based were recorded by 

 Bangs (1902, p. 47) as Dasyprocta isthmica, a form at that time 

 very imperfectly known. The black-naped agouti may prove to 

 have an extensive range along the Pacific coast of Panama and 

 adjacent portions of southwestern Costa Rica. It is apparently 

 replaced on the Volcan de Chiriqui, and probably along the Atlantic, 

 seaboard of western Panama, by D. p. isthmica. 



Specimens examined : Bugaba, 2 2 ; Divala, 3. 2 



1 Collection Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 ' Collection Mus. Comp. Zool. 



