CARNIVORA. 
^53 
It is about a foot and a half in length ; and the tail 
is nearly as long as the body. The hair is silky, and 
of a yellow gray or brownish cast, with a darker line 
down the back, and a shorter dark line underneath. 
It is found in South America, and in some of the 
West India Islands, where it is called poto. Its ali- 
ment is mixed, consisting of fruit, honey, &c., as well 
as birds, the blood of which it will suck, like the 
weasels ; notwithstanding which, however, it is a 
gentle, amusing animal, and can hang by the tail, 
like the sapajou, or prehensile-tailed monkeys. It is 
a nocturnal animal. 
The Baron Humboldt observes of it: ‘‘ the kinka- 
jou, or macauco of Pennant, is much more rare in 
America than might be expected from the number 
of skins found in Europe. It presents a curious 
mixture of the manners of the bear, dog, ape, and 
civet. The body is very slender ; the ears are small 
and pointed ; the head is like that of the fox ; and 
the fur very soft, and of a bright red. The abdomen 
is white ; and the fur on the inner parts of the thighs 
reflects a gold colour when in the sun. The tail is 
as long as the body, covered with hair, and almost 
as prehensile as that of some American monkeys ; so 
that the animal uses it as a fifth hand in climbing. 
It sleeps during the day, hides its face with the tail, 
and remains awake only while eating, which it does 
with extreme avidity. Its tongue is very long ; 
and, as it devours the honey of the wild bees, the 
missionaries call it the honey-bear (oso melero). Next 
to honey it seems to prefer plantains, eggs, and little 
