XV GUIANA PIG AND RESTLESS CAVY 493 
in the river, furnished ‘with open water, and also beds of 
‘camelotes,—a sloping open grassy bank on one side, where the 
Carpinchos can lie in the daytime in the cooler weather, 
sleeping and basking in the sunshine; on the other a low 
shelving bank, clothed with ‘Sarandi’ scrub growing out into 
the black reeking mud and shallow water beyond.” They always 
take to the water when alarmed, at a rate and with a gait which 
reminded Mr. Aplin of a Pig. When in the water they swim 
slowly with the upper part of the head, including nose, eyes, and 
ears, above the surface. But they can dive for a considerable 
“time and distance, and bafile their enemies by seeking the shelter 
of a mass of water-plants, and lying there with their noses only 
just above the surface. 
The genus Dolichotis' has long ears, and generally resembles 
a rather long-legged Hare in appearance. The front-feet are four- 
toed, the hind three-toed. The Patagonian Cavy, as this animal 
is called, has twelve dorsal vertebrae, and rudimentary clavicles” 
The paroccipital processes are long; the incisors are white, and 
are not grooved in front. The sternum has six pieces, and 
seven ribs reach it. 
Cavia, including the species C. porcellus, the Guinea-pig (which 
name is a corruption apparently of Guiana pig), has the same 
number of toes on its hind- and fore-feet as has the Capybara. 
The name applied to the wild stock whence our Guinea-pig is 
derived is the Restless Cavy. The fur is greyish ; of the domestic 
animals the colour is too well known to need description. 
Fam. 4. Dasyproctidae.—The genus Coelogenys includes but two 
species. C. paca, known as the “Spotted Cavy” or “Paca,” has a 
brown body, with white spots like those of a Dasyure ; it is one of 
the largest of Rodents, and has a quite short tail. The hand and 
foot are both provided with five digits; but the thumb is small, 
and in the foot the three middle toes considerably exceed the 
others in length. The hind-foot is practically three-toed. The 
fibula is not nearly so reduced as in Dolichotis. The skull of 
the animal is remarkable for the extraordinary development in 
breadth of the jugal arch, which is sculptured externally. There 
is a large cavity formed below, at the maxillary end of this huge 
1 Beddard, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1891, p. 236. 
2 These are stated by Tullberg to be absent. I have found them, but they are 
very small bones, not more than half an inch long. 
