CANIS AZAE^. 69 



nest during the first week, when she is fed by the male. As soon, 

 however, as the young are able to eat, both parents go off on the 

 hunt, and bring back food for their offspring. Towards the end of 

 December the male leaves his family, and the young follow their mother 

 about for a time till she leaves them also. 



"NVhen taken young, they are very readily tamed, know their master, 

 will come when called, or even seek him themselves, and lick his hand, 

 but they are not otherwise very obedient without the aid of a stick. 

 They can be left free to run about, and they often go oft' at night, but 

 return home in the morning. They will be friendly enough and play 

 with the dogs of the house in which they live ; but if a strange dog 

 approaches, their hair bristles up and they will growl or bark. 



The greater part of the day they pass in sleep, waking up towards 

 evening to look after their food and play with their master. 



They will readily hunt with hunting-dogs, even joining in the 

 pursuit of the terrible jaguar ; but if the hunt lasts several hours, they 

 get tired and go home. 



They have a curious habit of carrying away in their teeth to the bush 

 or into long grass any portable objects, such as pieces of leather or 

 cloth, or indeed the most various objects novel to them. This is not 

 with a wish to eat them, and indeed they are simply left in the place 

 to which they are thus oddly carried away. Travellers have to be 

 on their guard against this .strange habit. 



Rengger found that this animal was never eaten by the natives of 

 Paraguay (on account of its strong taste and odour), and that even its 

 skin was in but little request. They, however, waged war against it 

 vigorously, on account of its mischievous habits — trapping it or hunting 

 it with dogs. In the latter case it would at first run with such speed 

 that horsemen could with difficidty keep it in sight. After a (juarter 

 of an hour, however, it would generally begin to show fatigue, after 

 which it would soon be taken. 



A skin which was brought from the island of Chiloe was described 

 by Mr. Martin as a distinct species, under the name of C. fulvipes. 

 This skin, which is the type of the species, is deposited in the British 

 Museum, and it is the skull extracted from it which we here figure. 



