224 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



the sandy plain, the llama is peculiarly suited to rougher 

 and more uneven footing. 



3. The llama, and its cousins the alpaca, or paca, and 

 the smaller vicunia, find their most agreeable home on the 

 highly elevated plains or mountain-tables of the Andes. 

 Between eight and twelve thousand feet high is their favor- 

 ite altitude, and they are apt to suffer or die when com- 

 pelled to live on lower levels. " The alpaca is a variety of 

 the llama remarkable for the length and fleecy softness of 

 its hair ; its head is shorter than that of the llama, and the 

 texture of the fleece is very peculiar, insomuch that for 

 the manufacture of a variety of textile fabrics it has 

 recently become extremely valuable as an article of com- 

 merce. 



4. u The color of the alpaca is very variable ; some 

 individuals are jet-black, others brown, pied, or spotted. 

 The Peruvians do not employ this animal as a beast of 

 burden in their native country, but prize it solely on 

 account of its wool, of which pouches are made. The 

 vicunia, another variety of the same race, is not larger 

 than a sheep ; its hair, or rather wool, is extremely soft 

 and so fine as to be employed in the manufacture of the 

 most costly fabrics." 



5. An old writer on Peru, in 1544, says : " In places 

 where there is no snow, the natives want water, and to 

 supply this they fill the skins of sheep with water, arid 

 make other living sheep carry them ; for it must be re- 

 marked that these sheep of Peru are large enough to serve 

 as beasts of burden. They can carry about one hundred 

 pounds or more, and the Spaniards used to ride them, and 

 they would go four or five leagues a day. When they are 

 weary they lie down upon the ground, and as there are no 

 means of making them get up, either by beating or assist- 

 ing them, the load must of necessity be taken off. When 



