NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 139 



The biscacha breeds twice in the year, in Marcli or April, and 

 in August or September, — corresponding to autumn and spring, — 

 and the litter is two or three in number. The young do not 

 seem to leave the burrows till they are about six weeks old ; at 

 least I premise so from never having shot or trapped them under 

 that age. 



Their cry is almost indescribable, consisting of the most 

 extraordinary combination of squealing, grunting, and braying 

 conceivable, and is uttered in a most ludicrous tone of vehement 

 indignation and execration. I have known of natives belonging 

 to the upper provinces, who, in travelling south, had passed a 

 night in the vicinity of a biscachero, and consequently were kept 

 on the alert by these diabolical sounds. Jaguars they knew, and 

 pumas also, but from what unknown wild animals proceeded such 

 portentous sounds as these ! 



All biscachas will bite savagely when laid hold of, but an old 

 buck will also attack any one who impedes its road, following him 

 up in quick jumps ; and from the size of its incisors and muscular 

 configuration of its head, its bite is bad to contemplate and worse 

 to receive. I have also noticed that — in common with most 

 rodents — the wound is slow to heal, the teeth probably not being 

 clean. 



Their appearance through the day is of very rare occurrence. 

 Where they are seldom disturbed, they emerge shortly before sun- 

 down, but in other cases not till dark. They see well at night, 

 but have not much power of vision through the day. 



They swim pretty well, taking readily to the water if 

 pursued. 



Notwithstanding the disproportionate length of its fore and 

 hind legs, a full-sized biscacha will run very rapidly for two or 

 three hundred yards, but after that it gives in all at once. 



Their sense of smell is very small. 



They are very tenacious of life, and it requires no light blow to 

 fracture the thick cranium they possess. In this respect they 

 present a strong contrast to the "Nutria," {Lutra brasiliensis, 

 Linn.?), for the skull of the latter is as fragile as that of the 

 former is massive. 



Taking them on the whole, biscachas may be regarded as 

 rather stupid animals. No amount of trapping puts them on 

 their guard against the traps. When drowned out, it is true. 



