HISTORY OF ^MEXICO. 



61 



quills or fpines, which are empty, fliarp, and a fpan long. 

 On its fnout and forehead it has long ftraight briftles, 

 which rife upon its head hke a plume. All its fldn, even 

 between the fpines is covered with a foft black hair. 

 It feeds only on the fruits of the earth (s). 



The Cacomizile is a quadruped, exceedingly like the 

 marten in its way of life. It is of the fize and form of 

 a common cat ; but its body is larger, its hair longer, 

 its legs fhorter, and its afpeft more wild and fierce. Its 

 voice is a fliarp cry, and its food is poultry and other 

 little animals. It inhabits, and brings up its young in 

 places lefs frequented than houfes. By day it fees little, 

 and does not come out of its hiding-place but at night, 

 to fearch for food. The Tlacuaizin^ as well as the Ca- 

 comizile^ are to be feen in fome of the houfes of the 

 capital (/). 



Befides thefe quadrupeds, there were others in the 

 Mexican empire, which I know not whether to confider 

 as peculiar to that country, or as common to other parts 

 of America ; fuch as the Itzcu'mcuani^ or dog-eater ; the 

 Tlalocelotl or little lion ; and the Tlalmizili or little tiger. 

 Of thofe, which although not belonging to the kingdom 

 of Mexico are to be found in other parts of North Ame- 

 rica fubje6i: to the Spaniards, we fliall take notice in our 

 Differtations. 



We fliould find the birds a more difficult talk than the 

 quadrupeds, if we fliould attempt to give an enumera- 

 tion of their different fpecies, with a defcription of their 



forms 



(j) BufFon would make the Hifitztlacuatzin the CoeBidu of Guiana, but the 

 Coendu is carnivorous, whereas the Huitztlacuatzin feeds on fruits. 



{t) I do not know the true Mexican name of the Cacomiztle, and have there- 

 fore ufed the name which the Spaniards in that kingdom, gave it. Hernandez 

 does not mention this quadruped. It is true he defcribes one, under the name 

 ©f Cacamiztli, but this is evidently an error of the prefs. 



