360 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



THE GUINEA PIG. 



Our universally known Guinea Pig ( Cavia porcel- 

 lus) has so far, in point of pedigree, shared the fate 

 of many domestic animals; its progenitors can not 

 be traced with accuracy. The record of its geneal- 

 ogy is lost in antiquity. As far as known the little 

 creature was introduced into Europe by the Dutch, 

 soon after the discovery of America, that is, in the 

 sixteenth century. Gesner had even at his early 

 day become acquainted with it, and from that time 

 it has been bred continuously, but until recently the 

 original stock from which it descended was quite 

 commonly (and probably erroneously ) thought to 

 be the Brazilian Aperea or Restless Cavy {Cavia 

 aperea!). Nehring's investigations, however, have 

 proved that it springs from the Peruvian Cavy. 

 (Cavia cut/cri), a species closely allied to the Rest- 

 less Cavy, and kept in that country in a domesti- 

 cated state as early as the times of the Incas. As 



GUINEA PIGS. The Guil 



domestic pet in Europe. Cultivatio 



ably a corruption of "Guiana Pig." As will be seen by the pictur 



are very docile in captivity. (Caz'ia porcellns.) 



eloped main variations 



A. Stubel told Nehring, it is even to-day bred and 

 used as an article of diet by the Indians of Peru, 

 Ecuador and Columbia; but it has never been found 

 with the isolated and uncivilized aborigines of Brazil. 

 Color of the Besides uniformly colored Guinea 

 Guinea Pig a Re- Pigs, among which the white ones 

 suit of Breeding, predominate, one usually sees them 

 of three colors: spotted with white, tawny yellow 

 and black. As a result of Nehring's investigations 

 of the Guinea Pig mummies in the cemetery of 

 Ancon in Peru, it is claimed that the Inca Guinea 

 Pigs showed no black spots. They were either all 

 white, or reddish brown, or, if piebald, spotted re- 

 spectively with tawny or yellowish white. Accord- 

 ing to Haacke's observations, tri-colored specimens, 

 with spots of ashy gray instead of black, are not 

 uncommon; the eyes of such individuals are always 

 red. Latch- the Long-haired Guinea Pig has become 

 very popular; it is a breed which has a long fur, 

 exhibiting peculiar convolutions on different parts 

 of the body. 



The Guinea Pig is one of the most popular domes- 

 tic animals in the entire order of the Rodents, as 

 much on account of the small cost of its mainte- 

 nance as because of its inoffensive, good-natured dis- 

 position. If it has an airy, dry hutch or cage, it is 

 easily kept anywhere. It feeds on the most multi- 

 farious vegetable diet, ranging from roots to leaves, 

 on grains as well as fresh juicy plants and requires 

 only a little variety in its food. If it is given juicy 

 fruit it can thrive without drinking water at all, 

 though it is exceedingly fond of milk occasion- 

 ally. It is naturally very hardy and bears even ill- 

 treatment without apparent ill results. For this 

 reason it is a very pleasant pet for children, which 

 are generally the ones that most enjoy the keeping 

 of Guinea Pigs. In its habits and disposition it 

 shows an approximation to the Rabbits in some 

 respects, and to the Mice in others. Its manner of 

 vocal expression is a grunt, which probably gives 

 rise to the appellation of "Pig," and a peculiar 

 murmur, or Cat-like 

 purr and squeal. The 

 murmur seems to be an 

 expression of comfort, 

 while the squeal always 

 signifies excitement. 



Domestic G u i n e a 

 Habits of the Pigs live 

 Guinea Pig. j n pa j rs 



and the male and female 

 of the species keep to- 

 gether and treat each 

 other with marital affec- 

 tion and tender consid- 

 eration. Cleanly, like 

 most Rodents, one mate 

 often licks the other, 

 and sometimes uses its 

 fore - feet to comb the 

 other's fur. While one 

 of the couple sleeps, the 

 other mounts guard; if 

 it finds the time tedious 

 and becomes weary 

 itself, it awakes its mate, 

 licking and stroking it, 

 and as soon as it sees it 

 thoroughly awake it lies 

 down to sleep while its 

 mate keeps watch. 

 Propagation of Few mammals are as prolific as the 

 the Guinea Guinea Pig. In Germany from two 

 Pigs. t three, sometimes four or five 



young are born two or three times a year; in hot 

 countries the fecundity of the female is greater and 

 the young number six or seven. The little ones are 

 highly developed at birth, their eyes are open and 

 a few hours after they are born they are able to run 

 about with the mother. At the age of five or six 

 months they are capable of breeding themselves, 

 and at eight or nine months old they have attained 

 their full size. With good care they may attain an 

 age of six or eight years. 

 Susceptibility to If one pays much attention to the 

 Domestication of Guinea Pigs, he can render them very 

 Guinea Pigs. tame, though they never lose all 

 their timidity and rarely acquire sufficient intelli- 

 gence to distinguish their keeper from other people, 

 owing to their slender mental capacities. There are 

 exceptions to this rule, however. "A Guinea Pig 

 belonging to my children," writes Friedel, "greets 



^\>\\v 



nea Pig " is prob- 



plunip. intelligent, pretty animals, and 



