AN AQUATIC RODENT 



obviously termed Megamys, with a body as big as an ox. 

 The capybara is contented with the bulk of a sheep. It 

 is a rodent whose nearest living allies are the Patagonian 

 cavy, which looks like a weird long-legged hare, and of 

 which there are always examples in the Gardens, and of 

 the restless cavy, better known, when domesticated, as 

 the Guinea pig. It might be thought that the name of 

 the latter forbade any close alliance with the American 

 carpincho. But Guinea in this case is merely a corrup- 

 tion of Guiana. All the members of this family of rodents 

 are in fact limited to the southern half of the American 

 continent. The capybara, whose scientific name is Hydro- 

 choerus capybara, which of course the generic name 

 that is signifies water hog, is much addicted to water, 

 and has distinct points of likeness to the ungulates gen- 

 erally, if not to the pigs in particular. The skin is thick, 

 and rather sparsely haired, with coarse hairs as com- 

 pared to such a rodent as the squirrel, or even its ally, 

 the Guiana pig. The toes are reduced in number, which 

 is, as we have seen, an ungulate character ; their nails 

 are approaching towards hoofs in character ; and finally 

 the last molar tooth is of great length, as in the wart hog 

 and, indeed, the elephant. Being largely aquatic it is 

 not surprising to find that the hind toes are to some 

 extent webbed. These creatures are sociable and fre- 

 quent banks of rivers, whence they constantly plunge 

 into the water, in which element they are adept swimmers. 

 They delight in wallowing in mud like other thick- 

 skinned beasts. Their gait is a clumsy gallop, and is 

 compared by Mr. Aplin with that of the Guiana pig. 

 The step of the carpincho in fact betrays the cavian. 

 The blundering way in which these heavy rodents 

 charge when disturbed is a source of terror to horses, 

 who will not face them. They are literally thick skinned ; 

 but in recompense they have the most complicated and 

 furrowed brain of all rodents. 



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