198 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



sufferers still alive. The Bisharye received a slave for his 

 trouble." 



The Llama. The Llamas are classified as members of the 

 Camel Family of which they are the second genus. The 

 Vicuna (Llama vicugna] of the Peruvian Andes is one of 

 these. It is a very beautiful animal, combining, as Professor 

 Cunningham points out, to some extent the characteristics of 

 the camel, the deer and the goat. Its neck is long and slender 

 and carried with a graceful curve, and its legs are slight and 

 elegant, its wool fine and silky. It is a timid animal and 

 very wary of the approach of danger, seeking safety in flight, 

 though often falling a victim to the rapacity of the puma, 

 or the necessities of the Patagonian Indians, who eat its flesh 

 and clothe themselves in its skin. The Llama, (Llama 

 peruand) and the Alpaca (Llama pacos) are other species of 

 this family. The former is used by the Peruvians as a beast 

 of burden, as it will carry from a hundred-weight to a hundred 

 weight and a half for fifteen or twenty miles a day. Accord- 

 ing to Mrs. Bowdich, at one time 300,000 of these animals 

 were employed in carrying metal over the rugged mountain 

 passes for the Potosi mines alone. Like the camel, it refuses 

 to stir when overloaded, and continues to move at a slow 

 uniform pace throughout the day. Like camels also, they are 

 apt to fight among themselves, when the wool flies in an 

 absurd way, and if not separated, they do each other serious 

 injury. When offended with their driver they spit in his face, 

 their saliva being particularly unpleasant. The Alpaca which 

 is also domesticated is useful for its fleece. 



The Deer. There are two families of Deer ; that of the 

 Mouse deer with its mouse-shaped head, and without horns, 

 and that of the deer proper of which there are more than 

 fifty species. There are five species of the mouse deer, 

 genus Tragulus, all of which belong to Asia. They are found 

 in Java, Penang, Sumatra, Borneo, Cambodia and Siam. 

 The Indian Chevrotain (Tragulus meminnd) is spotted. It 



