xv THE GENUS DINOMYS 495 
pieces, and eight ribs reach it. A curious difference between this 
genus and the last is in the relative proportions of the regions of 
the intestine. The figures given by Tullberg for the two animals 
are—for Coelogenys, small intestine, 4800 mm.; caecum, 230 
mm.; large intestine, 21,000 mm.;—for Dasyprocta aguti the same 
author gives: small intestine, 4200 mm.; caecum, 200 mm.; large 
intestine, 1000 mm. The Agouti, says Mr. Rodway,' is as wily as 
Fic. 242.—Agouti. Dasyprocta aguti. x75. 
the Fox. “If chased he will run along the shallows of a creek to 
hide his scent from the dogs, or swim over and back again several 
times for the same purpose. He never runs straight when pursued, 
but doubles, often hiding until a dog has passed, and then making 
off m a different direction. Like the fox he has been hunted for 
a very long period, and, like Reynard, has grown wiser with every 
generation.” 
Fam. 5. Dinomyidae.—The genus Dinomys of Dr. Peters? is a 
very little known and remarkable form from South America 
allied to the Capybara, the Chinchilla, and other South American 
Rodents. It is only known by a single example found wandering 
about a courtyard in a town of Peru. It is externally like, and 
of about the same size as the Paca, but has a hairy tail. The 
animal is four-toed and plantigrade ; the ears are short, and the 
nostrils are S-shaped. It is usually regarded as_ belonging 
1 In the Guiana Forest, London, 1894. 2 MB. Ak. Berlin, 1873, p. 551. 
