i a 



ciiixcinu.il>.!:. 



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mliKim fur the fineness and softness of the fur." An anonymous 

 Italian author, supposed by Mine bibliographers erroneously, as Mr. 

 Bennett think* to be the AbW Vidauro, who published at Bologna, 

 in 1776, a 'Compendium of the Geographical, Natural, and Civil 

 History of the Kingdom of Chili,' speaks of the Arda (SpanUh for a 

 .|iiirrul) as a upociw of rat, or cainpagnol, of the size of a cat, found 

 only in the province of Copaipo, moderately docile, and covered with 

 ash-coloured wool, a* close and delicate aa the finest cotton. Button, 

 and that too after quoting FeuilleVs excellent description, confounded 

 it with the Chim-he, the most stinking of beast*. D'Azara corrected 

 tin- error, but falls into another himself, in regarding the Chinche of 

 rYuillee and Buflbu as bin Yagouard. Molina (' Natural History of 

 Chili ' Italian, Bologna, 1782) describes the Chinchilla as a species of 

 Mima-Ail Htu, under the name of Mut laniyrr. Guielin adopted the 

 appellation, but M. Geoffroy SI. Hilaire considered that it ought to 

 be regarded as one of his Hamsters. Zoologists generally took up this 

 opinion, and Molina, in a second edition of bin Essay (1810) seems to 

 have entertained it " The Chinchilla," says Molina, " is another spe- 

 cies of field-rat, in great estimation for the extreme fineness of its 

 wool, if a rich fur as delicate as the silken webs of the garden |>i<Ui> 

 may be so termed. It is of an ash-gray, and sufficiently long for 

 spinning. The little animal which produces it is six inches long from 

 the none to the root of the tail, with small pointed ears, a short muzzle, 

 teeth like the house-rat, and a tail of moderate length, clothed with a 

 delicate fur. It lives in burrows underground, in the open country 

 of the northern provinces of Chili, and is very fond of being in com- 

 pany with others of its species. It feeds upon the roots of various 

 bulbous plants which grow abundantly in those parts ; and produces 

 twice a year five or six young ones. It is so docile and mild in tem- 

 per that if taken into the hands it neither bites nor tries to escape, but 

 seems to take a pleasure in being caressed. If placed in the bosom it 

 remains there as still and quiet as if it were in its own nest This 

 extraordinary placidity may possibly be rather due to its pusillani- 

 mity, which renders it extremely timid. As it is in itself peculiarly 

 cleanly, there can be no fear of it soiling the clothes of those who 

 handle it, or of its communicating any bad smell to them, for it ix 

 entirely free from that ill odour which characterises the other species 

 of rats. For this reason it might well be kept in the houses with no 

 annoyance, and at a trifling expense, which would be abundantly 

 repaid by the profits on its wool. The ancient Peruvians, who were 

 far more industrious than the modern, made of this wool coverlets 

 for beds and valuable stuffe. There is found in the game northern 

 provinces another little animal with fine wool, called the Hardilla, 

 which is variously described by those who have seen it ; but as I have 

 never observed it myself, I cannot determine to what genus it belongs." 

 Upon this, Mr. Bennett, whose translation we have given, remarks that 

 there can be little doubt that this animal is identical with the Chin- 

 chilla, the latter being frequently spoken of by the name of Arda, the 

 same with Harda, the diminutive of which is Hardilla. Schmidt- 

 mover ('Travels into Chile over the Andes,' London, 4to, 1824), thus 

 describes the animal : " The Chinchilla is a woolly field-mouse, which 

 lives underground, and chiefly feeds on wild onions. Its fine fur is 

 well known in Europe ; that which comes from Upper Peru is rougher 

 and larger than the Chinchilla of Chile, but not always so beautiful in 

 its colour. Great numbers of these animals are caught in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Coquimbo and Copiapo, generally by boys with dogs, 

 and sold to traders who bring them to Santiago and Valparaiso, from 

 whence they are exported. The Peruvian skins are either brought to 

 Buenos Ayres from the eastern parts of the Andes, or sent to Lima. 

 The extensive use of this fur has lately occasioned a very considerable 

 destruction of the animals." 



Captain Beechey, K.N., on his return from his expedition to the 

 north-west coast of America, presented a living specimen to the Zoolo- 

 gical Society ; and an entire skin, rendered particularly valuable in 

 consequence of its having the skull preserved in it, was at the same 

 time brought home by Mr. Collie, the surgeon of Captain Beechcy's 

 ship, and deposited in the British Museum. 



"To the account of its habits given by Molina," says Mr. Bennett, " we 

 can only add, that it usually sits upon its haunches, and is even able to 

 raise itself up and stand upon its hinder feet It feeds in a sitting pos- 

 ture, grasping its food and conveying it to its mouth by means of its 

 fore paws. In its temper it is generally mild and tractable, but it 

 will not always suffer itself to be. handled without resistance, and 

 sometimes bites the hand which attempts to fondle it when not in a 

 humour to be played with. Although a native of the alpine valleys 

 of Chili, and consequently subjected in its own country to the effects 

 of a low temperature of the atmosphere, against which its thick coat 

 affords an admirable protection, it was thought necessary to keep it 

 during the winter in a moderately warm room, and a piece of flannel 

 was even introduced into its sleeping-apartment for its greater com- 

 fort But this indulgence was most pertinaciously rejected, and as 

 often as the flannel was replaced, so often was it dragged by the little 

 animal into the outer compartment of its cage, where it amused itself 

 with pulling it about, rolling it up, and shakiiiK it with its feet and 

 teeth. In other respect* it exhibits but little playfulness, and gives 

 few signs of activity ; seldom disturbing its usual quietude by any 

 sudden or extraordinary gamlmln, but occasionally dinplayiiiK strong 

 symptoms of alarm when startled by any unusual occurrence. A 



second individual of this interesting species has lately been added to 

 the collection by the kindness of Lady Knighton, in whose possession 

 it had remained twelve months previously to her presenting it to the 

 Society. This specimen is larger in size an.l rougher in it-* fur than 

 the one above described ; it* colour is also less uniformly gray, deriving 

 a somewhat mottled appearance from the numerous small blackish 

 spots which are scattered over the back and side*. It is possible that 

 this may be the Peruvian variety, mention. .1 in the extract from 

 Schmidtineyer'a ' Travels,' as furnishing a less delicate and valimlilu 

 fur than the Chilian animal. It is equally good-tempered and mild in 

 it* disposition, and, probably in consequence of having been exhibited 

 in a public < - much more tame and playful. In its late 



abode it was frequently suffered to run about the room, when it w -mild 

 show off its agility by leaping to the height of the table. Its food 

 consisted principally of dry herbage, such as hay and clover, on which 

 it appears to have thriven greatly : that of the Society's original 

 specimen has hitherto been chiefly grain of various kinds and succu- 

 lent roots. When the new-comer was first introduced into Bruton 

 Street, it was placed in the same cage with the other specimen ; tint 

 the latter appeared by no means disposed to submit to tin- presence of 

 the intruder; a ferocious kind of scuffling fight immediately endued 

 between them, and the latter would unquestionably have fallen a 

 victim had it not been rescued from its impending fate : since that 

 time they have inhabited separate cages, placed side by side ; and 

 although the open wires would admit of some little familiarity taking 

 place between them, no advances have aa yet been made on either 

 side. Such an isolated fact can, of course, have little weight in oppo- 

 sition to the testimony of Molina, that the Chinchilla is foiul of 

 company. It is nevertheless a remarkable circumstance, and deserves 

 to be mentioned in illustration of the habits f( these animals." It 

 breeds freely in confinement, the oldest pair at present in the Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens, Regent's Park, having produced seven young one*. 



Chinchilla lanigera. 



The fur of this species is a considerable article of commerce. In 

 muffs, tippets, linings to cloaks and pelisses, and trimmings for the 

 same, it is sold extensively, and at a comparatively high price. The 

 annual import of the skins of Chinchillas into England in 1851 was 

 85,000 : about 13,000 of these were re-exported. 



C. brevicaudata, Watorhousc (Briomyt Clihu-lii/ln, I.ieliten-tein ami 

 Wagner). Mr. Waterhouse, in his ' Natural History of the Mamn 

 says, " I feel little doubt that further investigation will prove this to 

 be a distinct species from the C. laniyera." This species inhabits 

 Peru, and is larger than the last 



o A _ i 



Layostomtu. Incisors, _ ; molars, = 20. 



The incisors are sharpened ; the molars each consists of two com- 

 plete oblique lamella?, the upper posterior one being trilamellar. 

 Anterior feet 4-toed, the thumb being altogether deficient, the mils 

 small and t'alciilar. Posterior feet 3-toed, the nails produced, straight, 

 and !.'! -moderate. Tail moderate. 



/,. trifhiiilnriyliu, Brookes (Cotlomyi Vucacia, Is. Geoffroy ami 

 H'Oi-liigny ; />//* maximut, De Blainville). It'is La Vi/eaehe of 

 D'Azara, and the Marmot Diana of Crimths, translator of Cuvicr's 

 'Animal Kingdom.' The following arc the characters as given in 

 Mr. NV'atcrhouse's work : Hody stout; limbs powerful; tarsi long: 

 ear nearly half as long as the head, broad at the base, narrow at the 

 opposite extremity, being distinctly emarginatcd behind; fur soft and 

 moderately long. General line of the upper parts of the animal gray, 

 somewhat mottled with dusky, and distinctly pencilled with Mark; 

 the whole of the under parts white or yellow-white ; a broad dusky or 

 black band extends on either side, from th.- nm/vlc to the back part 

 of the cheek ; an equally broad white band crosses the muzzle and 

 'imuiaU.il on each side beneath th'- e\e. ami a third narrow- li.iml 

 fin inno across the forehead, which is of a dusky hue ; tail about half 



