1833.] THE BIZCACHA. 



most favourite resort appears to be those parts of the plain which 

 during one half of the year are covered with giant thistles, to 

 the exclusion of other plants. The Gauchos affirm that it lives 

 on roots ; which, from the great strength of its gnawing teeth, 

 and the kind of places frequented by it, seems probable. In the 

 evening the bizcachas come out in numbers, and quietly sit at 

 the mouths of their burrows on their haunches. At such times 

 they are very tame, and a man on horseback passing by seems 

 only to present an object for their grave contemplation. They 

 run very awkwardly, and when running out of danger, from 

 their elevated tails and short front legs, much resemble great 

 rats. Thein flesh, when cooked, is very white and good, but it 

 is seldom used. 



The bizcacha has one very singular habit ; namely, dragging 

 every hard object to the mouth of its burrow : around each 

 group of holes many bones of cattle, stones, thistle-stalks, hard 

 lumps of earth, dry dung, &c., are collected into an irregular 

 heap, which frequently amounts to as much as a wheelbarrow 

 would contain. I was credibly informed that a gentleman, when 

 riding on a dark night, dropped his watch ; he returned in the 

 morning, and by searching the neighbourhood of every bizcacha 

 hole on the line of road, as he expected, he soon found it. This 

 habit of picking up whatever may be lying on the ground any 

 where near its habitation, must cost much trouble. For what 

 purpose it is done, I am quite unable to form even the most re- 

 mote conjecture : it cannot be for defence, because the rubbish 

 is chiefly placed above the mouth of the burrow, which enters 

 the ground at a very small inclination. No doubt there must 

 exist some good reason ; but the inhabitants of the country are 

 quite ignorant of it. The only fact which I know analogous to 

 it, is the habit of that extraordinary Australian bird, the Calo- 

 dera maculata, which makes an elegant vaulted passage of twigs 

 for playing in, and which collects near the spot, land and sea- 

 shells, bones, and the feathers of birds, especially brightly co- 

 loured ones. Mr. Gould, who has described these facts, in- 

 forms me, that the natives, when they lose any hard object, 

 search the playing passages, and he has known a tobacco-pipe 

 thus recovered. 



The little owl (Athene cuuicularia), which has been so often 



