THE CHINCHILLAS. 



369 



Coypu in the water and drive it towards the hunter, 

 or else they enter into combat with it, though the 

 large Rodent defends itself courageously and effect- 

 ually. Traps are set out on the shallow places of its 

 favorite haunts and in front of the holes. 



THE AFRICAN GROUND PIG. 



An African form, called Ground-Pig by the na- 

 tives {Aulacodus swinderiantts), is a stout animal 

 with a small head, a short, broad muzzle, small, 

 naked half-round ears, and short four-toed feet with 

 rudimentary thumbs. The fur consists of smooth, 

 spine-like bristles with a 

 flexible extremity. The 

 bristles are ashy gray at 

 the base, darker in the 

 middle and black at the 

 tip, which is usually sur- 

 rounded a short distance 

 from its end by a brownish 

 yellow ring. The Ground- 

 Pig is, as far as our pres- 

 ent information extends, 

 distributed throughout 

 eastern Africa as far to the 

 south as Cape Colon)', and 

 in western Africa its range 

 comprises both Upper and 

 Lower Guinea. The ani- 

 mals live near the water 

 and chiefly inhabit banks 

 of rivers, thickly grown 

 with grass, reeds and 

 sedge, or bushes. Their 

 food consists of grass, 

 roots and bulbs. Drum- 

 mond describes them as 



very harmful animals that can work great devasta- 

 tions especially on sugar-cane and maize plantations 

 and therefore are diligently pursued in cultivated 

 portions of the country. 

 The Ground Pig a Another reason for the pursuit of 

 Choice Food the Ground-Pig at the hands of both 

 Animal. Europeans and natives is, that its 



flesh yields a more palatable roast than any other 

 African mammal. 



of perpetual snow; only one species is found living 

 in the plains. They take up their abode in natural 

 holes or tunnels excavated by themselves. They 

 are all gregarious, and sometimes a considerable 

 colony inhabits one common hole. Averse to day- 

 light, like the Hares, they are most active by dusk 

 or at night. They are quick, lively, nimble and 

 timid, and their movements also partake in charac- 

 ter half of those of Rabbits, half of Mice. Hearing 

 seems to be their best developed sense. Their in- 

 tellectual capacities are slight. Roots and moss, 

 bulbs and bark, and probably fruit also are their 



Gbe Cbfncbillas. 



TWELFTH FAMILY: Lagostomid^e. 



It is only in recent times that we have obtained 

 accurate knowledge of the members of a small 

 family of American animals, the pelts of which have 

 been used by the aborigines of South America from 

 time immemorial, and have also been shipped to 

 Europe since the end of the last century. The 

 Chinchillas {LagostoDiidcc) might be classified as an 

 intermediate variety between the Mice and Hares, 

 in respect to their external appearance. The most 

 succinct description that can be given would consist 

 in "calling them Rabbits with a long, bushy tail. 

 Their dentition, however, separates them distinctly 

 from the Hares. The fur of the Chinchilla is the 

 finest of any known mammal. The coloring is a 

 light gray and white, and brownish black or yellow. 

 Habitat The Chinchillas inhabit South Amer- 



ofthe Chin- ica exclusively, for the greater part 

 chillas. dwelling on mountains at a consider- 



able altitude, among the barren rocks below the line 



THE AFRICAN GROUND PIG. The Rodent shown in this picture is a short, chubby aniu 



bristly but smooth coat, small ears and a Rat-like tail. In the cornfields and sugar plantations of Africa it is an 

 unwelcome guest for the damage it does, but its flesh is palatable and its usefulness dead somewhat compensates 

 for its ravages when living. {Aidacodus swinderiantts.) 



chief food. Their fecundity about equals that of 

 the Hares. They easily bear confinement and grat- 

 ify their owners by their tameness and cleanly 

 habits. Some of the species cause considerable 

 annoyance by digging under the ground and de- 

 stroying roots of plants, but all are useful on account 

 of flesh and fur. 



THE CHINCHILLAS PROPER. 



The True Chinchillas (Eriomys) which compose 

 the first mentioned species are distinguished from 

 the kindred species by a thick head, broad, rounded 

 ears, five-toed fore-feet, four-toed hind feet and a 

 long, exquisitely soft and silky fur. The molars are 

 formed of three lamina Only two varieties of this 

 animal are known: The Common Chinchilla {Eriomys 

 chinchilla) and the Smaller Chinchilla (Eriomys lani- 

 gera). The former attains a size of twelve inches, 

 its tail being five inches long, or eight inches, if the 

 hair on it be measured. The fur is of uniform, fine 

 and exceedingly soft texture; on the back and sides 

 the hair is nearly an inch long, being of a bluish 

 gray color at the roots, then ringed with white and 

 dark gray at the outer ends. The resulting general 

 tint is a silver color with a surface tinge of darker 

 hue. The under parts and the feet are pure white; 

 the tail shows two dark bands on its upper part. 

 The large eyes are black. 

 The Chinchilla of At the time of the Incas, as far back 

 Ancient Use- as our knowledge of the country ex- 

 fulness. tends, the Peruvians had already be- 



come skilled in manufacturing the fine, silky fleece 

 of the Chinchillas into cloth and similar stuffs, which 

 were in great demand. In the last century the first 



