266 RODENTIA. 



CHILI CHINCHILLA. 



Cltiiicli ilia hrevicaudata. 



The Chili Chinchilla resembles the foregoing, but it is 

 slightly smaller, and much lighter in colour, and its fur 

 is consequently of less value. It fetches 10s. to 45s. per 

 dozen, according to demand. Many of the skins are 

 greasy. The fur is long. Its food is vegetable. It is 

 an inhabitant of Chili, and is a variety of the foregoing 

 Chinchilla. 



BASTARD CHINCHILLA. 



Chinchilla lanigera. 



French : Chinchille batard, or de la Plate. German : 

 Bastard Chinchilla. 



The Bastard Chinchilla is more numerous than either 

 of the foregoing varieties, but is much smaller, being 

 about 6 inches long, and the tail about 4 inches. 



This pretty animal inhabits La Plata. 



The fur is short, although from some districts it is 

 longer and thicker, and is very soft to the touch. The 

 general colour of the fur varies from light to dark blue 

 or grey, like the real Chinchilla. The whiskers are 

 long, grey or white. The tail is bristly, and thicker at 

 the tip. It produces from five to six young at a birth. 



The price of a dozen skins varies from 3s. 6d. to 30s., 

 according to demand ; the present value is about 8s. 

 A large quantity of skins is sometimes imported, some 



