126 



The Living Animals of the World 



This very rnre anin: 



refucre. The skins, with 



says : " It opens oysters with 

 wonderful skill. It is sufficient 

 for it to break the hinge with 

 its teeth ; its paw-s complete 

 the w'ork of getting out the 

 oyster. It must have a 

 delicate sense of touch. In 

 this operation it rarely avails 

 itself of sight or smell. It 

 ]iasses the oyster under its 

 hind paws; then, without 

 looking, it seeks with its 

 hands the weakest place. It 

 there digs in its claws, forces 

 asunder the valves, and tears 

 ; oat the flesh in fragments, 

 ■ leaving nothing behind." Its 

 favourite haunt is in the cane- 

 brakes of the south. There 

 the planters follow it by night 

 with d(jgs, and shoot it in 

 the trees in which it takes 

 landsome alternations of yellow and brown, make fine carriage-rugs. 



GREAT P.^SDA. 

 ill is found nn the hiRli plateau of Tibet, 



TriE COATIS. 



The Co.^Tis are small arboreal creatures, w-ith the habits of a raccoon and squirrel fairly 

 proportioned. Tiiey are flesh-eaters, liut active and playful. Their long p)ig-like snouts give 

 them an unpleasant appearance. They inhabit jMexico and Central and South America as far as 

 Paraguay. Several specimens are generally to be seen at the Zoological Gardens. Their habits 

 are much the same as those of the small tree-climbing cats, but with something of the badger 

 added. Insects and worms, as well as birds and small animals, form their food. 



The Pandas and Kixkajou. 



Among the small carnivorous mammals the ]>ear-Cat, or Panda, is a very interesting 

 creature. Its colour is striking — a beautiful red-chestnut above, the lower surface jet-black, 

 the tail long and ringed. The quality of the fur is fine also. It is found in the Eastern 

 Himalaya, and is as large as a badger. The Great Panda, from Eastern Tibet, is a much 

 larger, short-tailed, black-and-wliite animal, once thought to be a bear. The Kinkajou has a 

 prehensile tail, and uses its }iaws as hands so readily that it was formerly placed among the 

 lemurs. It is a native of Southern and intertropical America. Nocturnal, and living in the 

 great forests, it is seldom seen liy man. Its head is round and cat-like, its feet are the same, 

 but with non-retractile claws, and it has a long, full tail. It has a long tongue, W'ith which it 

 can lick out insects from the crevices and holes of trees. Baron von Hunilioldt says that it 

 attacks the nests of wild bees. It uses its tongue to draw objects of food towards it, even 

 if they are not living. A pleasant description of this animal appeared in Charles Knight's 

 " Museum of Animated Nature," published many years ago : " In its aspect there is something 

 of gentleness and good-nature. In captivity it is extremely playful, familiar, and fond of being 

 noticed. One lived in the gardens of the Zoological Society for seven years. During the 

 greater part of the niorniiig it was asleep, rolled up in a ball in its cage. In the afternoon 

 it would come out, tra\-erse its cage, take food, and play with those to whom it was accustomed. 

 Clinging to the top wires of its cage with its tail and hind paws, it w-ould thus swing itself 



