Ch. VIII. SOUTH AMERICA. 441 



these 3.re, the vicuna and the guanaco :^ the only dif- 

 , ference between them being, that the vicuna is some- 

 thing smaller, its wool shorter and finer, and browiiail 

 over the body, except the belly, which is .^vhitisji. 

 The guanaca on thecontrary is much larger, its wool 

 long and harsh ; but the shape of both is pretty near 

 alike. These last are of great service in the mines, 

 carrying metals in such rugged roads as would be im- 

 practible to any other beast. 



In the houses is bred a creature called chucha ; but 

 in the other southern provinces it is known by the In- 

 dian name of mucamuca; If resembles a rat but 

 considerabl}'' bigger, with along snout, not unlike that 

 of a hog; the feet and tail are exactly the same as 

 those ota rat : but the hair is ioniser and bUck. In 

 the lower part of its beily, from the beginning of the 

 stomach to the natural orifice of the sex, runs a sorr. of 

 bag, formed of two membranous skins, which grow- 

 ing from the lower ribs, and joining in the midrUe, 

 follow the conformation of the belly, ^vhich they in- 

 close: in the middle of it is an aperture extending 

 about two-thirds of its length, and which the ere ifure 

 opens and shuts at pleasure by means of muscles, 

 doubtless formed by nature for this purpose. AirtT 

 bringing forth her young, she deposits them in this 

 bag, and carries them as a second pregnancy till they 

 are fit for weaning: ; she then relaxes the muscles, dad 

 the young come out as a second bmod. Monsieur 

 de Jussieu and M. Seniergues, when at Quito, made 

 an experiment, at which Don Geor^^* J um -nW Í. 

 were both present. The dam had been dead three 

 days, and began to smell very disagreeably; the oriiice 

 of the bagremained still shut, but tne young ones we 

 found tuU of life within, each with a teat m its mouth; 

 from wliich, at the time we took them off, some small 

 drops of milk came out. The male I never saw : 

 but was told that it was of the same bigness and 

 shape as the female, except the bag; the- testicles 

 3 of 



