268 RODENTIA. 



VISCACHA. 



La{i<>stoi)uis tricJtodacti/Ius. 

 German : Biscacha. 



The Yiscaclia, or, as it has sometmies been called, the 

 Vizcacha, or Biscacha, is at times described in the 

 catalogues of skin and hide sales under the name of 

 Deer. 



It is rather a large Kodent, being about 2 feet long to 

 the root of the tail. The colour is dark brown or black, 

 with a w^hite belly, and a light under fur. The head is 

 long, thick, and broad, and closely attached to the body. 

 There is a black line across the eyes, and another along 

 the mouth. The hair is long and bristly, with very 

 little under fur. The whiskers are black and abundant. 

 The ears are short. The short tail, measuring about G 

 inches, is sparsely covered with short bristly hairs. The 

 skins of this animal are sometimes imported in rather 

 large quantities, but they are of little or no value, except 

 for leather. 



The Yiscacha breeds very readily in captivity, and 

 thrives and breeds well in the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society. 



It is an inhabitant of South America. 



Mr. W. H. Hudson, in the " Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society," 1872, thus describes the habits of 

 the Viscacha : — 



(P. 822) : " The Yizcacha in the pampas of Buenos 

 Ayres live in societies, usually numbering twenty or thirty 

 members. The village (called here ' Vizcacliera ') is 

 composed of a dozen or fifteen burrows or mouths ; for 



