12 The Naturalist in La Plata. 
cries of wounded and suffering men; and among 
them the mother-coypti is seen with her progeny, 
numbering eight or nine, with as many on her back 
as she can accommodate, while the others swim after 
her, crying for a ride. 
With reference to this animal, which, as we have 
seen, is prolific, a strange thing once happened in 
Buenos Ayres. The coypu was much more abun- 
dant fifty years ago than now, and its skin, which 

Coypu. 
has a fine fur under the long coarse hair, was largely 
exported to Hurope. About that time the Dictator 
Rosas issued a decree prohibiting the hunting of 
the coypti. The result was that the animals in- 
creased and multiplied exceedingly, and, abandoning 
their aquatic habits, they became terrestrial and 
migratory, and swarmed everywhere in search of 
food. Suddenly a mysterious malady fell on them, 
from which they quickly perished, and became 
almost extinet. 
