THE CARPINCHO 



491 



Pectinator spekii is the only representative of a genus not far 

 removed from Ctenodactylus ; it is a smallish Rodent, 6 inches in 

 length, exclusive of a rather bushy tail nearly 3 inches long. 

 It comes from Abyssinia. It has somewhat the appearance of a 

 Squirrel, which is heightened by the fact that when sitting the 

 tail is arched over the back ; when running the tail is carried out 

 straight. There are only four toes visible externally on both fore- 

 and hind-limbs, but pollex and hallux exist in the skeleton, with 

 a single phalanx each. There is only a single pair of mammae, 

 and in correspondence with this but two or three young are 

 produced at a time. The hind-feet have bristles very much like 

 those of Ctenodactylus. The molars, however, are ^. There are 

 twelve ribs, of which six reach the sternum. The latter is made 

 up of six pieces, and the manubrium in its breadth anteriorly 

 suggests that of the Yizcachas. The clavicles are present. 1 



Fam. 3. Caviidae. This family, which includes the Cavies and 







FIG. 240. Carpincho. Hydrochoerus capybara. x fa. 



the Capybara, is entirely South American and West Indian in dis- 

 tribution. It embraces animals of fair to large size, the Capybara 



1 Peters, Trans. Zool. Soc. vii. 1871, p. 397. 



