LANIGERA LANJUINAIS. 



375 



be due to its pusillanimity. As it is peculiarly 

 cleanly, there can be no fear of its soiling the clothes 

 of those who handle it, or of its communicating- any 

 bad smell to them, for it is entirely free from that ill 

 odour which characterizes the other species of rats. 

 Fur tin's reason it might well be kept in 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 indus- 

 trious than the moderns, made of this wool coverlets 

 for beds and valuable stuffs. To the account of its 

 habits given by Molina, we can only add, that it 

 usually sits on its haunches, and is even able to 

 raise itself up and stand upon its hinder feet. It 

 feeds in a sitting posture, 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 Chile, 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 moder- 

 ately warm room, and a piece of flannel was even 

 introduced into its sleeping apartment, for its greater 

 comfort ; 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 the cage, where it amused 

 itself with pulling it about, rolling it up, and 

 shaking it with its feet and teeth. In other 

 respects, it has exhibited but little playfulness, 

 and gives few signs of activity, seldom disturbing 

 its usual quietude by any sudden or extraordinary 

 gambols, but occasionally displaying strong symp- 

 toms of alarm when startled by any unusual occur- 

 rence. It is, in fact, a remarkably tranquil and 

 peaceable animal, unless when its timidity gets the 

 better of its gentleness. 



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 

 for twelve months previous. This specimen is larger 

 in size and rougher in its fur than the one above 

 described : its colour is also less uniformly gray, 

 deriving a somewhat mottled appearance from the 

 numerous blackish spots which are scattered over 

 the back and sides. It is possible this may be the 

 Peruvian variety, mentioned in the extract from 

 Schmidtmeyer's Travels, as furnishing a less delicate 

 and valuable fur than the Chilian animal. It is 

 equally good tempered and mild in its disposition, 

 and, probably in consequence of having been 

 cloiniciliated in a private house, instead of having 

 been exhibited in a public collection, is much more 

 tame and playful. In its late abode, it was frequently 

 suffered to run about the room, when it would 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 

 trrcatly. That of the society's original specimen has 

 hitherto been chiefly grain of various kinds, and 

 succulent roots. U hen the new comer was i'.rst 

 introduced, it was placed in the same cage with the 

 other specimen ; but the latter appeared by no means 

 disposed to submit to the presence of the intruder. 

 A ferocious kind of scuffling light immediately ensued 

 between them, and the latter would unquestionably 

 have fallen a victim, had it not been rescued. Since 

 that time, they have inhabited separate cages, placed 

 side by side. Such an isolated fact can, of course, 

 nave little weight in opposition to the testimony ol 



Molina, that the chinchilla is fond of company. It is, 

 nevertheless, a remarkable circumstance, and deserves 

 to be mentioned in illustration of the habits of these 

 animals. 



LANJUINAIS, JEAN DENIS, count de, peer of 

 France, member of the academy of inscriptions and 

 belles-lettres for thirty-eight years, a staunch defender 

 of liberal institutions, was born March 12, 1753, at 

 Ilennes, of respectable parents. In 1771, he became 

 an advocate in Rennes ; in 1775, professor of the 

 canon law ; in 1779, member of the estates of 

 Brittany ; in 1789, member of the third estate in the 

 constituent assembly, and, at a later period, of the 

 convention. He was the first in the states general, 

 who, in the report on the state of things in his pro- 

 vince (Brittany), gave a faithful picture of the 

 >ppressions committed by the nobility, and declared 

 the following measures to be the general wish .of the 

 nation the abolition of feudal rights ; the abolition 

 of the nobility, and the establishment of a representa- 

 tive constitutional government ; offering, at the 

 same time, in the name of his constituency the 

 senechausse of Rennes to give up its privileges of 

 xemption from several taxes, &c., though enjoyed 

 from ancient times. He opposed, with courage and 

 energy, the arrogant pretensions of the privileged 

 class and the intrigues of Mirabeau, and, at a later 

 period, resisted, with equal firmness, the violence of 

 the Mountain party. The object of his wishes was 

 constitutional liberty ; and, when the republic was 

 proclaimed, and Louis X VI. was denounced, he was 

 as zealous in defence of the rights of his prince as he 

 had been, and continued to be, for the rights of the 

 nation. Attacked by the Maratists, and even threat- 

 ened in the convention by a crowd of insurgents, he 

 displayed great courage and dignity. He afterwards 

 retired to Rennes, where, proscribed by the Jacobins, 

 he lived eight months in concealment. He owed 

 his preservation to his faithful wife, and the heroic 

 fidelity of his servant, Julie Poirier, whom Legouve 

 has celebrated in his poem Merite des Femmes. After 

 the downfall of the terrorists, Lanjuinais again took 

 his seat in the convention. Soon after, he was chosen 

 president, and opposed the usurpations of Bonaparte. 

 March 22, 1800, he was made senator. Though he 

 had opposed the consulate for life, and the elevation 

 of Bonaparte to the throne, the emperor named him 

 commander of the legion of honour, and created him 

 count. In 1814, Lanjuinais voted for the deposition 

 of Napoleon and the establishment of the provisory 

 government, and aided in preparing the constitution 

 proposed by the senate. Louis XVIII. made him a 

 peer, June 4, 1814. During the hundred days, he 

 repeatedly refused to take the oath of allegiance to 

 Napoleon, and voted against the acte additionnel. 

 Napoleon approved of his election, by the city of 

 Paris, to the house of representatives, and his eleva- 

 tion by that body to the place of their president. 

 After the second restoration, Lanjuinais opposed, in 

 the chamber of peers, all the extravagant and arro- 

 gant pretensions of the clergy, defended the liberty 

 of the press and individual freedom, the law of 

 election and the charter. He voted against the war 

 with Spain, against the reduction of the rentes, and 

 the septennial elections of the chamber. The speeches 

 ami writings of count Lanjuinais are profound and 

 comprehensive. Among the latter are his AJemoires 

 stir la Religion, which is directed against the exten- 

 sion of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction ; his Constitutions 

 de la Nation Fran^aise (2 vols., 1819) ; his work on 

 the three Concordat**, and some historical essays, 

 chiefly in the Revue encyclopedique. In 1808, he was 

 elected amciul>erof the institute, in the class of inscrip- 

 tions and belles-lettres; and, in 1816, the king con finned 

 him in this place. Lanjuinais died January 15, 1827. 



