1352 THE RODENTS 



The skin of the paca is so thin, and its hair so coarse and harsh that its pelage 

 is of no commercial value. Its flesh is, however, white and well flavored, and on 

 this account the animal is much sought after by the natives of the countries it in- 

 habits. During the months of February and March pacas becomes most extraordi- 

 narily fat, and it is at this season that their flesh is most esteemed. In the woods 

 of Brazil pacas and agutis, together with certain Edentates, are the only Mammals 

 whose flesh is eatable, and they are accordingly most acceptable to the traveler, 

 who is often compelled for long periods to subsist on a vegetable diet. 



This animal is interesting as apparently forming a connecting link 

 Branick's Paca , ,, ,. . .,. 



between the true pacas and the other families of the present group, 



and on these grounds it has been made the type of a family by itself. In size and 

 general form of the head and body, as well as in coloration, this animal closely re- 

 sembles the paca, from which it is distinguished externally by its rather long and 

 thickly-haired tail, by each foot having four toes, and by the vertical cleft on the 

 upper lip. Internally it differs by the complete clavicles, and by the molar teeth 

 being divided into transverse plates of enamel, as in the chinchillas and cavies. 

 The only known example {Dinomys branicki}, was discovered one morning at day- 

 break, rather more than twenty years ago, wandering about the courtyard of a 

 building in Peru, and from that day to this nothing more has ever been heard of 

 the species. 



THE CAVIES 

 Family CA 



The cavies, familiar to us all from childhood in the form of the domestic guinea 

 pig, form a well-marked family distinguished by the following characteristics. The 

 limbs are generally similar to those of the agutis, and are furnished with four toes 

 in front and three behind. The collar bones are imperfect, and the molar teeth are 

 divided by continuous folds of enamel into transverse plates. As indicated by the 

 well-known proverb concerning the guinea pig, the tail is small or rudimentary. 

 The incisor teeth are short, and the lower jaw differs from that of the agutis in hav- 

 ing a strongly-marked ridge on each external surface. The majority of the mem- 

 bers of the family are terrestrial, but one genus is aquatic. 



The true cavies, as represented by the guinea pig, are comparatively-small 

 Rodents, characterized by their stout build, short and subequal limbs, small ears, 

 and the total absence of a tail. All the wild species are uniformly colored, and 

 their range comprises the whole of South America. 



One of the best known of the many species is the restless cavy 

 y (Cavia porcelhts} of Uruguay and Brazil, which measures rather more 

 than ten inches in length, and attains a weight of about a pound. The color of the 

 rather long and coarse fur is grayish brown, and the incisor teeth are white. This 

 species is common in certain districts in the neighborhood of the Rio de la Plata, 

 where it is known by the name of aperea. According to Darwin, it is occasionally 

 found on the sand hills or the hedges of aloes and cactuses; but its more usual and 



