THE HARE KIND. 



359 



with a most plaintive cry, seldom quitting its 

 hole till the utmost extremity. At last, when 

 half suffocated, it issues out, and trusts once 

 more to its speed for protection. When still 

 forced by the dogs, and incapable of making 

 good a retreat, it turns upon the hunters, and 

 with its hair bristling like a hog, and standing 

 upon its hind feet, it defends itself very obsti- 

 nately. Sometimes it bites the legs of those 

 that attempt to take it, and will take out the 

 piece wherever it fixes its teeth." 



Its cry when disturbed or provoked resem- 

 bles that of a sucking pig. If taken young, it 

 is easily tamed, continues to play harmlessly 

 about the house, and goes out and returns of 

 its own accord. In a savage state it usually 

 continues in the woods, and the female gene- 

 rally chooses the most obscure parts to bring 

 forth her young. She there prepares a bed of 

 leaves and dry grass, and generally brings 

 forth two at a time. She breeds twice or 

 thrice a year, and carries her young from one 

 place to another, as convenience requires, in 

 the manner of a cat. She generally lodges 

 them, when three days old, in the hollow of a 

 tree, suckling them but a very short time, for 

 they soon come to perfection, and it should 

 consequently follow that they soon grow old. 



THE PACA. 



THE Paca is an animal also of South 

 America, very much resembling the former, 

 and like it has received the name of the Ameri- 

 can rabbit, but with as little propriety. It is 

 about the size of a hare, or rather larger, and 

 in figure somewhat like a sucking pig, which 

 it also resembles in its grunting and its manner 

 of eating. It is, however, most like the agouti, 

 although it differs in several particulars. 

 Like the agouti, it is covered rather with coarse 

 hair than a downy fur. But then it is beauti- 

 fully marked along the sides with small ash- 

 coloured spots, upon an amber coloured 

 ground ; whereas the agouti is pretty much of 

 one reddish colour. The paca is rather more 

 thick and corpulent than the agouti ; its nose 

 is shorter, and its hind feet have five toes ; 

 whereas the agouti has but three. As to the 

 rest, this animal bears some distant resem- 



Ray's Synop. 



blance to a rabbit, the ears are naked of hair, 

 and somewhat sharp, the lower jaw is some- 

 what longer than the upper, the teeth, the 

 shape of the head, and the size of it, are like 

 to those of a rabbit. It has a short tail like- 

 wise, though not tufted ; and its hinder legs 

 are longer than the fore. It also burrows in 

 the ground like that animal, and from this 

 similitude alone travellers might have given it 

 the name. 



The paca does not make use of its fore- 

 paws, like the squirrel or the agouti, to carry 

 its food to the mouth, but hunts for it on the 

 ground, and roots like a hog. It is generally 

 seen along the banks of rivers, and is only to 

 be found in the moist and warm countries of 

 South America. It is a very fat animal, and 

 in this respect much preferable to the agouti, 

 that is most commonly found lean. It is eaten 

 skin and all, like a young pig, and is consider- 

 ed as a great delicacy. Like the former little 

 animal, it defends itself to the last extremity, 

 and is very seldom taken alive. It is perse- 

 cuted not only by man, but by every beast and 

 bird of prey, who all watch its motions, and, 

 if it ventures at any distance from its hole, are 

 sure to seize it. But although the race of these 

 little animals is thus continually destroyed, it 

 finds some refuge in its hole, from the general 

 combination ; and breeds in such numbers, 

 that the diminution is not perceptible. 



To these animals may be added others, very 

 similar, both in form and disposition ; each 

 known by its particular name in its native 

 country, but which travellers have been con- 

 tented to call rabbits or hares ; of which we 

 have but indistinct notice. The TAPETI, or the 

 BRASILIAN RABBIT, is in shape like our English 

 ones, but is much less, being said to be not 

 above twice the size of a dormouse. It is 

 reddish on the forehead, and a little whitish 

 under the throat. It is remarkable for having 

 no tail ; but it has long ears and whiskers, like 

 our rabbits, and black eyes. It does not bur- 

 row, like ours ; but lives at large like the hare. 

 The APEREA is also called by some the BRA- 

 SILIAN RABBIT, being an animal that seems to 

 partake of the nature of a rabbit and a rat. 

 The ears are like those of a rat, being short 

 and round ; but the other parts are like those 

 of a rabbit, except that it has but three toes on 

 the hinder legs like the agouti. 



To these imperfect sketches of animals little 



