154 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



is apparently very much smaller, with the audital bullae nearly one- 

 half less. From N. narica it differs markedly through its much 

 darker general coloration, and still more so in this respect from the 

 forms of the more arid portions of Mexico." 



The coatis are largely arboreal in habits, but they appear to be 

 equally at home upon the ground. They are sociable animals and 

 commonly range about in parties or troops consisting of several old 

 females and younger animals of both sexes. The old males are met 

 with alone, and from their solitary habits are in many localities sup- 

 posed to be of a different species. They are referred to in Panama as 

 pisote solo to distinguish them from the more gregarious pisote de 

 manada. Under other native names the same distinction is made in 

 other parts of Middle America. 



The coatis are less strictly nocturnal in their activity than some of 

 the other members of the family. At Gatun several parties of from 

 five or six to a dozen individuals were seen roaming through the 

 forest during the morning and evening hours. During the heat of 

 the day they were occasionally startled from a resting place in the 

 trees, from which they tried to escape by running along large branches 

 and passing across into other trees, or came bounding down and off 

 along the ground. When searching for food they carry their long 

 tails high in the air and move at a rather rapid pace, running here and 

 there, pausing a moment to paw up the ground or poke their long 

 noses into likely places and then hurrying on to overtake more 

 advanced members of the troop. They also ascend trees in quest of 

 food. Stomachs examined by me contained fruit pulp only, but they 

 probably have a diversified diet. 



Belt 1 in Nicaragua observed a solitary pisote climb trees in pur- 

 suit of iguanas, the large tree lizards of the region, but they made 

 their escape by dropping to the ground and rushing off to another 

 tree. The pisote, " however, seemed to take all his disappointments 

 with the greatest coolness, and continued the pursuit unflaggingly. 

 Doubtless experience had taught him that his perserverance would 

 ultimately be rewarded ; that sooner or later he would surprise a 

 corpulent iguana fast asleep on some branch, and too late to drop 

 from his resting-place." In Panama the iguanas congregate in num- 

 bers to feed on the flowers of certain trees, especially an Erythrina- 

 like species at Gatun ; at such times some of them would not be likely 

 to escape the sudden attack of a party of pisotes. 



1 The Naturalist in Nicaragua, p. 339, ii 



