THE ALPACA. 351 



llamas of approved docility and sobriety of derneatiour. 

 He also mentions the singular fact that the llama com- 

 mits suicide. When overloaded and overdriven it lies 

 down, and when its brutal tormentors exhaust all the 

 resources of cruelty, the unhappy animal at last kills 

 itself by suddenly dashing its head against the earth. 

 Why, then, be at such expense in removing from its 

 native haunts a creature whose wool is inferior to that 

 of our sheep, and which as a beast of burden is so in- 

 ferior to the ass and the mule ? The difficulties, doubts, 

 and queries thus suggested are too many and too grave 

 to be disregarded ; and we doubt not that they will in- 

 duce many to regard the introduction of the llama as 

 chiefly one of curiosity to students of natural history. 

 But the matter may be looked on from another point of 

 view, to which we shall advert in a little. 



M. Colpaert, while fully admitting the great value of 

 the alpaca, is still less sanguine that its fleece will 

 enrich the agricultural and textile industry of France. 

 What herb have we to substitute for the indispensable 

 sora ? What mountain in Europe shall take the place 

 of the Cordilleras ? M. Colpaert, while hoping that his 

 fears are chimerical, confesses his inability to reply to 

 such questions. 



All that the French acclimatisationists can venture 

 to say is, that the results obtained from some of the 

 animals introduced into France by M. Roehn appear 

 fitted to inspire greater hope of the acclimatisation of 

 the alpaca. They comfort themselves, moreover, with 

 the reflection that the introduction of the Merino sheep 

 into France was only effected after the loss of innumer- 

 able animals and the lapse of a century. But we are 

 sorry to observe that their inquiries at the different 

 zoological societies in Europe confirm all that is ad- 

 vanced by M. Colpaert as to the difficulty of removing 

 the alpaca from its native soil. In June 1864 there 

 were in Europe 104 llamas, but only 4 alpacas ; namely, 

 2 at London, and 2 at Paris. 



