CAPE SAN ANTONIO 197 



sents the entire native mammalian fauna. The 

 word ''hutia" or ''jutia'* is the Cuban name for 

 the three species of Capromys inhabiting the island; 

 of these, Capromys pilorides is the largest and is 

 generally distributed over the entire area. It 

 weighs about ten pounds when fully adult and 

 may frequently be seen in the tree tops of the 

 forested regions. This is the one the Patron killed. 

 The other two species of Capromys are not over 

 half the size of the former. C prehensilis makes 

 use of its long rat-like tail for hanging from 

 limbs, as do our opossums. The third species (C 

 melanurus) is confined to the Oriente province. 

 The distribution of Capromys outside of Cuba is re- 

 presented by one in Jamaica now almost extinct, 

 one in the Bahamas, and one, strangely enough, 

 in Swan Island; there are none in the mainland. 

 The hutias are all arboreal rodents, but those of 

 the mountains rear their little families among the 

 boulders of the sierras where the feeble voices of 

 the young can always be heard by attentive listen- 

 ing. Their faint cry is very suggestive of the 

 peeping of little chickens. In the native peasant 

 houses one often sees tamed hutias kept as pets. 

 The species so kept is usually the C. prehensilis 



