458 EXPLANATORY INDEX. 



The Coendoo, however, may be distinguished by its long 

 prehensile tail, which can be coiled round the branches like 

 that of the spider-monkey and the little ant-eater, which has 

 been already described. 



Its food consists of leaves, flowers, young twigs, and similar 

 substances, and its flesh is said to be delicate and tender. If 

 so, it very much belies the odour which proceeds from its 

 ,body, and which is thus described by Charles Kingsley : — 



" More than once we became aware of a keen and dreadful 

 scent, as of a concentrated essence of unwashed tropic 

 humanity, which proceeded from that strange animal, the 

 Porcupine with a prehensile tail, who prowls in the tree-tops 

 all night, and sleeps in them all day, spending his idle hours 

 in making this hideous smell. Probably he or his ancestors 

 have found it pay as a protection ; for no jaguar or tiger-cat, 

 it is to be presumed, would care to meddle with any thing so 

 exquisitely nasty, especially when it is all over sharp prickles." 



As to the theory that any animal, even the skunk itself, is 



