THE UTIA. 105 



in a short, but not rough nasal grunt, which is repeated 

 about four times in quick succession ; the first grunt is 

 not so loud, but a little longer, and more distinct than 

 the three following : the musical time of the whole is 

 constant, as often as it is uttered. The name Tucutuco 

 is given in imitation of the sound. In all times of the 

 day, where this animal is abundant, the noise may be 

 heard, and sometimes directly beneath one's feet. When 

 kept in a room, the tucutucos move both slowly and 

 clumsily, which appears owing to the outward action of 

 their hind-legs ; and they are likewise quite incapable of 

 jumping even the smallest vertical height. When eating 

 they rest on their hind-legs and hold the piece in their 

 fore-paws ; they appear also to wish to drag it into some 

 corner. They are very stupid in making any attempt to 

 escape ; when angry or frightened, they utter the tucu- 

 tuco. Of those I kept alive, several, even the first day, 

 became quite tame, not attempting to bite or to run 

 away ; others were a little wilder. The man who caught 

 them asserted that many are found blind. A specimen 

 which I preserved in spirits was in this state. When 

 the animal was alive I placed my finger within half an 

 inch of its head, and not the slightest notice was taken : 

 it made its way, however, about the room nearly as well 

 as the others." 



The Utia 



(Capromys Furnieri ; Isodon Pilorides, Say). 



Mr. Waterhouse considers the genus Capivmys as 

 one of those included in the Histricine section of Ro- 

 dents. The anterior paws have four toes and a rudimen- 

 tary thumb ; the hind-feet are thick, broad, and strong, 

 and five-toed ; the claws are strong ; the soles of all the 

 feet are naked, and covered with a coarse granular black 

 skin, divided into pads by deep fissures. The muzzle is 

 obtuse ; the nostrils are open, obHque, edged externally 

 with an elevated rim, and separated by a medial furrow, 

 running to the fissure of the upper lip. The whiskers 

 are long; the tail is annulated with a scaly epidermis, 



