162 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



SPOTTED CAVY 



Photo I) A. S. Rudland Sons 



PACA, OR 



The facas are among the larger rodents, found mainly In the northern part of 

 the South American region 



shoulders and back by a crest of long 

 spines, varying from 12 to 15 inches in 

 length. The tail also carries spines 



VlSCACHAS AND CHINCHILLAS. 



On the plains of La Plata the com- 

 monest large rodent is the VISCACHA. It 

 assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs, 

 but is a much larger animal, from 1 8 inches 

 to 2 feet long. Viscachas always set a 

 sentinel to give warning of danger. They 

 cut every kind of vegetable near and drag 

 them to their holes ; they also have a 

 habit of picking up and collecting round 

 the burrows any object which strikes them 

 as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even 

 whips or boots, may generally be found 

 there. The viscacha belongs to the chin- 

 chilla family, but differs much from the 



beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. The COMMON CHIN- 

 CHILLA is about 10 inches long, and the SHORT-TAILED CHINCHILLA rather smaller. The exqui- 

 site fur is well known. Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. All four 

 creatures are found on the Andes. 



THE AGUTIS AND PACAS. 



South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the 

 mouse-deer in general appearance ; they are called AGUTIS. Mainly forest animals, but living 

 also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds ; they are very swift in their 

 movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. The fur is long, olive- 

 or chestnut-coloured, and thick. 



The PACAS are allied to the agutis, but are stouter ; they live either in burrows made by 

 themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. The pacas are spotted and 

 rather ornamentally marked ; they are found from 

 Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay. 



THE CAVIES. 



The DINOMYS, a spotted rodent known by one 

 example from Peru, has been thought to form a link 

 between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea- 

 pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the 

 largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed 

 to be the RESTLESS CAVY, a small rodent common on 

 the plains of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with 

 yellowish-gray and white hairs of the domesticated 

 species ; and it is suggested that the original of the 

 present name was " Guiana pig." This cavy lives in 

 thickets rather than in forests or plains. 



The PATAGONIAN CAVY is a larger form, about 



o ' 



twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground, 

 and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the 

 sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France 



Photo by York & Son] 



[Kotting Hill 



rnviu vj ,..---, irTT-'C 



PACAS, OR SPOTTED CAVIES 



This photograph, -which represents young animals, sk 

 great perfection the linear arrangement of the str.pa 



