346 PET ANIMALS. 



THE GUINEA-PIG. 



THE Guinea-pig, or restless cavy, is a prettily- marked, stupid 

 little animal, which came originally from South America, and has 

 long been a favourite with most little boys, for when a boy becomes 

 a youth, he aspires to keeping something more interesting than these 

 senseless little squeakers. Still it is a pretty sight to see the old 

 ones followed by two or three litters, each lot not more than two 

 months older than the last addition, and to watch their antics when 

 pleased, which consists of a squeak and a peculiar sharp turn, as if 

 they tried to jump out of their skins, but couldn't, as they are fitted 

 in too tightly for that. As for the use they are, why, they eat and 

 sleep 



" Just do nothing all the day, 

 And soundly sleep the night away." 



It is, however, a pretty, harmless little animal, but as a pet is far 

 inferior to others that are generally kept. Though gentle and in- 

 offensive in its manners, it seems incapable of feeling the slightest 

 attachment for those who feed and caress it even for its own off- 

 spring it evinces little or no affection ; it will not only suffer them to 

 be destroyed before its face, without making the smallest efforts to 

 defend them, but will even at times devour them itself. For all 

 useful purposes they are utterly valueless, though their flesh is used 

 as an article of food in their native country, but their skins, notwith- 

 standing the beautiful sleekness of their appearance, have as yet 

 been turned to no account by the furrier. Their only recommenda- 

 tions, therefore, are the gentleness of their dispositions, the cleanli- 

 ness of their habits, and the beautiful colouring of their coats. In 

 this latter respect they are very varied, black, white, bright reddish 

 brown, and mixtures of the three, called tortoiseshell, being the 

 principal varieties ; the latter are the most prized, particularly where 

 the dark colours predominate. 



