726 RODENTIA. 



GENUS ATHERURA. 



The Brush Tailed Porcupines, divided into five species, are found in 

 West Africa, India, Siam, Borneo, and Sumatra. They a-e small, with 

 short nuked ears, and a long tail, partly covered with scales, and ending 

 in a tuft of most extraordmary formation. 



The Tufted Tailed Porcupine, Athemra Afrkana i^Plate LIX), is 

 a comparatively slender animal, about two feet in length. 



The quills which cover the body are very short in proportion to the 

 size of the animal, and are flattened like so many blades of grass. The 

 tail is scaly throughout a considerable part of its length, but at the tip is 

 garnished with a tuft of most extraordinary-looking objects, which look 

 ver}- like narrow, irregular strips of parchment. The coloring 01 the 

 quills is diversified, but as a general rule they are black toward the 

 extremity and white toward the base. 



The Agoutis and Cavies are placed by Mr. Wallace in the family 

 Cavid.e. There is a striking external resemblance between them, they 

 inhabit the same regions of South America, and with one exception are 

 all found east of the Andes. They are divided into six genera. 



GENUS DASYPROCTA. 



The Agouti, Dasyprocta aguti (Plate LIX), is the type of the nine 

 species of the genus. It ranges from Mexico to Paraguay, one species 

 inhabiting the small West India Islands of St. Vincent, Lucia, and Gre- 

 nada. The habits of all the species are very similar. 



The Agoutis are natives of South America and the West Indies. 

 Woods spreading over hills and mountains are the localities where they 

 generally take up their abode ; and the clefts of rocks, or the hollows in 

 trees, serve for their retreats. If ready-made places of shelter are not 

 procurable, they dig burrows. They are nocturnal in their habits, and 

 feed principally on roots and fruit. But when in captivity they are om- 

 aaivorous, and manifest an unbearable voracity, for they gnaw everything 

 they can get at. They are huntea by dogs, but although tolerably switt 

 are unable to sustain a long chase. When running, they resemble the 

 common hare, and, like that animal, are apt to overbalance themselves 

 •when running down hill. They can be easily tamed, but display little 

 affection. 



