BUENOS AY RES. 



tail are disposed in transversal bands, joined to each 

 other by membranes, which allow the animal to 

 stretch or contract itself at pleasure. The tatoos 

 live in burrows under ground, which they dig with 

 .great facility, the mole not being more expert ; and, 

 indeed, this is their only means of defence, for their 

 motion is so slow, that, when pursued by a man, 

 they must inevitably be taken unless they escape in- 

 to the earth. This animal feeds upon worms, in- 

 sects, ants, and carrion, but never drinks. Its flesh 

 is fat and delicate, and equal to that of a sucking 

 pig. M. Azara has enumerated eight species of the 

 armadillo, of which the largest is the great or giant 

 taloo, whose body measures 38^ inches in length, 

 and its tail 18% ; and the smallest, or tatee-pichy, is 

 only 10 inches long without the tail, which is 4^. 

 The cuiy. The cuiy is a remarkable animal, about a foot long, 

 with a thick, nervous tail, nine inches in length, and 

 entirely bare towards the extremity. The muzzle 

 is adorned with whiskers ; the mouth and teeth like 

 those* of a mouse ; the eye very small ; and the ear 

 short and without hair, and entirely concealed under 

 bristles. These bristles, which are very sharp and 

 strong, defend the head, body, and part of the tail ; 

 and those on the tape of the neck are about two 

 inches long. There are none, however, on the feet 

 or belly, which are covered with brown hair. The 

 female brings forth only one at a time. She has two 

 . paps on the pectoral muscles, and one about an inch 

 farther down. The cuiy climbs the largest trees with 

 the greatest facility ; and can stand firm upon the 

 point of a vertical pole without supporting itself by 

 the tail, which it only uses when descending. It is, 

 however, a most phlegmatic and indolent animal. M. 

 Azara, who kept one in his chamber for nearly a 

 year, observed that it never shewed the least sign 

 of joy, sorrow, or gratitude, but, on the contrary, 

 the greatest stupidity, sluggishness, and indifference. 

 It would remain a whole day, sometimes two, with- 

 out changing its posture, or even moving ; and al- 

 ways rested on its hind paws, with its fore-feet in 

 the air, and its body bent forward. Nothing dis- 

 turbed it, and it cared not who entered, or who went 

 out. Once a day it ate fruits and vegetables, which 

 it held in its paws, but very little at a time, and ne- 

 ver drank. This animal is found chiefly in the fo- 

 rests of Paraguay. 



These are the most remarkable among the quadru- 

 peds of this region. They bear no analogy to those 

 of the old world ; and, from their nature and habits, 

 seem to be intended to live for ever in the wilds and 

 the desert. Without almost any means of defence, 

 or any resources against the attacks of man, their 

 , numbers must be diminished as the inhabitants of the 

 country increase ; and it is probable, that a consider- 

 able increase of population will be followed with the 

 total extermination of their species. 



Besides these, are several varieties of animals com- 

 mon to the ancient continent, but which have been 

 supposed to have degenerated in an American cli- 

 mate. Such a supposition, however, is altogether 

 erroneous , for some of them yield neither in size, in 

 fierceness, nor in strength, to those of any other quarter 

 of the world. The tyger is larger, and is equal in fe- 

 rocity to any of Africa. DobrizhofFer mentions the 



skin of one which measured three ells and two inches Buenos 

 in length. They kill and carry off oxen and horses ; A ye. 

 and one or two of them, says Bouguer, are sufficient ~ y- ^" 

 to desolate a province. The stags and oxen are also 

 equal to those of Europe ; but the puma, or Ameri- 

 can lion, is much weaker and smaller than those of 

 Africa, and are so cowardly that they will fly from 

 the barking of a dog. 



Of the domestic animals, the most useful are the Domestic 

 lama and paco, both natives of this country, and in- -^ nima ' 5 ' 

 habiting the Cordilleras, and the higher districts of 

 Tucuman and Los Charcas. There are five species 

 of these animals, distinguised by the names of lama, 

 guanaco, moromoro or chilihueque, vicunna, and paco; 

 but they are often confounded by naturalists, and all 

 the accounts which have as yet been received, con- 

 cerning their different properties and appearances^ 

 are involved in considerable obscurity- Some sup- 

 pose, that the guanaco and vicunna are merely the 

 lama and paca in a state of nature ; and that the mo- 

 romoro or chilihueque, is the domestic lama of Chili. 

 This idea, however, is sufficiently confuted by Moli- 

 na, (in his Natural History of Chili, to which we 

 must refer our readers for a particular descrip- 

 tion of these animals). He distinguishes the guana- 

 co as having hair, and a hunch on the back, while 

 the lama is flat, and covered with wool. The paco 

 approaches so near to the lama, that it is even diffi- 

 cult to pronounce them a separate species ; but the 

 vicunna is very different from both, and is an ele- 

 gantly formed animal, about the size and shape of a 

 tame goat, except that the neck is longer ; the head 

 is round, and destitute of horns, and the muzzle 

 short and beardless. Its wool is extremely fine, of a 

 beautiful fawn colour, and constitutes a most valua- 

 ble article of commerce. All these animals, in their 

 wild state, inhabit and pasture on the highest parts 

 of the mountains. They seem to delight in the re- 

 gions of ice and snow, always preferring the north 

 side of the bills, and appear more vigorous in pro- 

 portion to the coldness of their situation. Those Lama, 

 that are domesticated are very serviceable to the in- 

 habitants, both for food, clothing, and as beasts of 

 burden. The lama will carry from 150 to 200 pounds 

 weight, with the greatest safety, over precipices and 

 rugged mountains, where man can scarcely follow 

 it ; and a small portion of reedy grass, called ichu t 

 is its only nourishment. Some of them, however, are 

 of such a stubborn nature, that, when they once lie 

 down with their load, they will suffer themselves to 

 be cut to pieces rather than rise before they are suffi- 

 ciently rested. They all produce bezoar-stones, but 

 the wild animals yield the best, being both larger, 

 and of a better quality and colour, than those produ- 

 ced in a state of slavery, which are small, black, and 

 of little value. 



Among the immense variety of birds which inha- Bird** 

 "bit this country, and of which M. Azara has e- 

 numerated 448 different species, the Nandu and Nandu, 

 Condor are the chief. The nandu or American or ostrich, 

 ostrich approximates nearly to the ostrich of Africa, 

 except in the form of its feet, upon which it has 

 three toes, while the other has only one. It is call- 

 ed emu by the Portuguese, and is to be found chiefly 

 in the plains of Monte Video, and the Pampas of 



