94 a hand-book of the management of animals 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — The only chance of keeping such an animal alive is to 

 place it in a very cool and airy place, and completely sheltered from the 

 sun. With respect to the specimen exhibited in the garden, wet khus- 

 khus screens, hung outside the cage, were found useful in lowering the 

 temperature of the place during the middle of the day in summer when 

 the animal panted a good deal : a shower-bath administered with a gar- 

 den syringe was also beneficial. The best treatment, however, is to allow 

 it, when practicable, as much liberty as possible. 



Food. — Eggs, bread, milk, fruits, small birds and meat. The 

 animal referred to above lived chiefly upon eggs and bread and milk. 



Treatment in sickness. 



The animal spoken of here suffered from an obstinate kind of skin 

 disease which baffled all treatment. After its death an autopsy was 

 held and its liver was found to be extremely enlarged, and almost all the 

 viscera enveloped in masses of fat. 



Observations on the habits of a Eacoon Dog. 



This animal was very shy on arrival, but after some time in capti- 

 vity it became. so tame as to respond to caresses and attention. It 

 appeared to be very lazy, probably owing to the enervating influence 

 of the climate : it was never known to eat before the evening was some- 

 what dark. Although generally silent, it had a soft mew, distinctly 

 expressive of pleasure. 



(101) THE WHITE-NOSED COATI. 



(NASUA NAKICA— {Linn.) ) 



Description. — Stout and rounded in form. The chief characteristics 

 of this animal are* its elongated and tapering head, truncated nose and 

 long and hairy tail. The colour of the fur blackish brown above, 

 yellowish beneath ; a good deal of grey about the head ; tail yellowish 

 black and ringed indistinctly. 



Hab.— South America. 



(102) THE BING-TAILED COATI. 

 (NASUA BUFA— (Ztesm.) ) 



Description. — It is uniformly fulvous in colour, tail distinctly ringed. 

 Sab. — South America. 



Length of life in captivity. 



A white-nosed coati lived for about five years, and the longest 

 period during which a ring-tailed coati has as yet lived has been only 

 a little over four years. 



