FAMILY CAVIDÆ ;—GUINEA-PIG, CAPYBARA.

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naturally restricted to tropical America, where they seem to replace the hares and rabbits of other countries; but one species, the common Guinea-Pig, has been so long domesticated in this and other European countries, as now to have become quite naturalised in the Old World. Whence the name was derived, which this species bears, there does not seem now a possibility of ascertaining; for it seems to have been introduced into Europe at a very early period after the discovery of South America. This animal possesses a very low degree of intelligence; it lives in societies, inhabiting dry lands covered with low brushwood; and remains concealed during the day, coming forth on the approach of evening to seek its food. It possesses neither cunning to avoid danger, strength to resist, nor swiftness to escape from it; and nothing could save the race from extermination, except its extraordinary rapidity of multiplication. In this respect this species equals, or perhaps surpasses, any other mammiferous animal. The ordinary litter consists of six or eight, sometimes as many as twelve; and young are produced several times in the year. These young come into the world in a state which at once renders them nearly independent of their parents; and although they do not attain their full growth until they are eight or nine months old, they themselves begin to breed at the age of six or eight weeks. There is little besides this readiness of multiplication, and a certain degree of prettiness in their external appearance, which can render the keeping of these animals a matter of either pleasure or profit. "Devoid of sense or docility, though incessantly restless, tame from stupidity, and harmless from impotence, they perhaps possess as few claims upon our interest and affection, as any animal of equally innoxious habits."*

234. Nearly allied to the Guinea-Pig is the Hydrochærus or Capybara, which is the size of a small pig, and is the largest known animal of the order. It has a thick muzzle, short legs, coarse yellowish-brown hair, and no tail. Its feet are webbed, showing its aquatic habits; and it is said to exist, in considerable numbers, near all the large rivers of the tropical portion of

*Bell's "British Quadrupeds," p. 355.

South America, readily taking to the water, and swimming and diving with facility. It runs badly, however, upon land, owing

to the shortness of its legs. In its disposition it strongly resembles the Cavy; and like it, is capable of being readily domesticated. A friend of the Author's had one alive in his house for some years; and it gave very little trouble, though commonly allowed to go at large.-The Agouti is another of the Cavida;

ness. When first taken possession of by Europeans, the West India Islands and all the more fertile parts of South America were literally overrun with the various species of this animal; they are still very numerous in most places which are not settled and cultivated; and even in some which are under cultivation, their numbers are so great, as to give no little annoyance. They live for the most part upon the surface of the ground, not climbing,

AGOUTI.-FAMILY CHINCHILLIDE.

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nor digging to any depth; and they commonly sit upon their haunches, when at rest, holding their food between their forepaws, in the manner of Squirrels. They feed both upon the green vegetation of the surface, and upon the roots which they find a little below it; and by destroying those of the sugar-cane, they are often of great injury to the planters. It is said that, when angry, the Agouti stamps with the fore-feet, grunts like a young pig, and erects the bristly hair of the crupper in the manner of a Porcupine.

235. The family CHINCHILLIDE consists of a number of small South American Rodents, which have been until recently only known by the skins of some of them; these have been long highly, valued on account of their fur, and have been largely imported. This is especially the case in regard to the Chinchilla, a

native of the valleys in the high mountain districts, where the cold is often very severe; its fur is of a dense woolly character, which, together with its fineness of texture, causes it to be highly valued. Its colour is clear gray above, varying however in depth, and passing into white on the under parts. The ancient Peruvians are said to have made of this wool coverlets for beds, and valuable stuffs; but there is reason to believe that, on account of the present extensive destruction of the species, it is becoming more and more scarce. Of its habits in a state of nature, little is known, save that it associates in numbers, and excavates burrows in which it resides, feeding chiefly upon roots,

especially those of a bulbous kind. In captivity, its manners strongly resemble those of the Cavy and Rabbit. The Viscacha of the Pampas is another animal of this family, allied to the Chinchilla, but larger, being when full grown of the size of the common Badger. It burrows so extensively in the plains between Buenos Ayres and San Luis, as to make it dangerous to travel over them, especially at night; their holes being so large and deep, that a horse is almost sure to fall, if he steps into one of them. The animal is, for the most part, nocturnal in its habits, being seldom seen until the evening, when it comes forth to feed and to sport near its holes. It is remarkable that the burrows of the Viscacha are also inhabited by vast numbers of small Owls; which are said to sit, during the day, gazing at the passing travellers, and making a very ludicrous appearance.

236. The LEPORIDE or Hare tribe constitutes the last family of the Rodentia; distinguished, as already mentioned, by the presence of two small incisors behind the cutting teeth of the upper jaw. Few undomesticated animals are better known than the common Hare of this country; which is spread, also, over the greater portion of Europe. Its timidity and defencelessness are beautifully compensated by its watchfulness, the acuteness of its senses, and its swiftness of foot. Its eyes are so situated, that the animal can see nearly all around it; and its large ears can be raised and directed towards any point from which the faintest sound issues. Its brown fur, also, aids to conceal it, by its resemblance to the russet herbage, in the midst of which the Hare's form (as the slight hollow made by it is termed) is usually situated. The Hare is an exclusively vegetable-feeder, devouring various kinds of herbage and the bark of young trees; it is nocturnal in its habits, remaining on its form during the day. In its stomach there is a partial division, which gives it a degree of resemblance to that of the Ruminant Quadrupeds; and in the Levitical directions respecting clean and unclean animals, it is enumerated as one of those that chew the cud. It swims well, and takes fearlessly to the water, whether to escape from pursuit, or to seek for food. Besides the common Hare, the Alpine or varying Hare (so named from its usual residence,

FAMILY LEPORIDÆ;HARES AND RABBITS.

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and from the changes of colour which it undergoes), inhabits the northern parts of Scotland, the mountainous parts of Ireland, and has been occasionally seen in the mountains of Cumberland. It is intermediate in size between the Rabbit and the common Hare; and tenants the sides and summits of mountains, hiding in the clefts of rocks, or among rocky fragments. Its ordinary food is similar to that of the other species; but during the winter it feeds on lichens and on the seeds of pines. During the summer its colour is a light grey, except on the lips and at the tips of the ears, which are black; but at the approach of winter, it gradually becomes completely white, with the exception of these parts, which remain black. At the return of spring, the white fur is thrown off, and a new gray coat is obtained, which in its turn undergoes the autumnal change. That this change is solely due to the effect of cold upon the hair, is evident from this fact,-that a Lemming (which undergoes a similar change), caught in the summer, during one of the Arctic voyages, and kept in the cabin of the ship, at a warm temperature, retained its summer coat far beyond the usual time; but when taken on deck, on the 1st of February, and exposed to the intense cold of 30° below Zero, the colour of its fur began to change in a few hours, and was completely turned in the course of a week. The purpose of this curious phenomenon is evidently to afford concealment to the animals which undergo it; by the resemblance between the hue of their fur, and that of the surrounding snow. The common Hare of Ireland has been lately shown to be a species different from that of England; and it is curious that, besides some constant differences in its form, its fur is valueless as an article of commerce; being destitute of the long fine dark hairs, which constitute the beauty of that of the common species.

237. The structure of the Rabbit closely resembles that of the Hare; the smaller size of the former constituting its chief variation; but in its habits, as is well known, it is extremely different,-living in societies, instead of alone; and burrowing extensively beneath the soil, instead of squatting upon it. There is reason to believe that the Rabbit was not originally a native of our island; but the