MAMAfALS OF VENEZUELA— ROBINSON AND LYON. 
141 
7. COELOGENYS PACA (Linnaeus). 
SPOTTED CAVY. 
Local name: Lapa. 
1893. Coelogenys paca Allen and Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., V, p. 228. 
1900. Codogenys paca Ba-ngs, Proc. New Eng. Z06I. Club, I, p. 99. 
Two specimens badly mutilated b}^ dogs and machetes were secured 
from the natives at San Julian. They were pdult males. These are 
thickset animals of the general proportions of a guinea pig and ex- 
tremel}^ heavy for their size. Their eyes are nearer the frontal plane 
than usually represented in figures. The tail is a mere stub with a 
callous tip. The skin is composed of several layers. The outer, which 
is brown on the upper parts and white beneath, is of extreme tender- 
ness and tears even under the edge of a keen knife. The under layer 
is thick and fibrous and cuts like wet surgeon's cotton. It clings so 
tightlv to the flesh that it must be dissected free. Any attempt to 
remove the hide by pulling results in splits in the tender outer skin, 
showing the white fibrous layer beneath. 
On each side of the anus there is a large oval gland protruding farther 
to the rear than the tail and resembling a testis. These glands measure 
30 by 20 mm. Horizontally across the middle runs a cleft, and if the 
gland be pressed at the top and bottom, it opens along this cleft and 
becomes everted like two thick, protruding lips, rolling back and 
revealing a somewhat nodular surface. 
The sexual organs are peculiar. The testes are abdominal. The 
penis has on either side of the dorsum of the glans a corneous plate, 
hinged on the inner edge and with strong hooked thorns on the free 
edge. The fore part of the organ is thickly beset with recurved spines 
and terminates in two white, horny, conical tubes or awns, one-half 
inch long. 
The flesh of the lapa is more highly esteemed ])y the natives than 
that of any other game, and the animals readily bring from $2 to $3 
each in the markets. 
They were formerly abundant in the forests at San Julian, and are 
still fairh" common. At a small village 10 miles farther to the east 
there are two brothers who had killed over 60 lapas in the preceding 
twelve months. 
As might be inferred from the character of the feet and hair and 
position of the e3^es, the lapa takes freely to water when pursued and 
dives and swims beneath the surface with ease. They often squat 
with only their nostrils and eyes above the water. 
Measurements. 
No. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Tail. 
Foot. 
WR 1604 
WR 1659 
San JulWn.. 
do 
. Aug. 1 
. Aug. 8 
Male 
....do 
665 
633 
26 
22 
110 
116 
