182 THE GUINEA PIG AND THE COMMON HARE. 



Few animals have received less appropriate names than the Guinea 

 Pig ; for it is not a pig, but a rodent, and does not come from Guinea, 

 hut from Southern America. Being a very pretty little creature, it is 

 in some favor as a domestic pet : and, as it is remarkably prolific, it 

 very rapidly increases in numlaers, if it is well defended from cold and 

 preserved from damp. 



The food of the Guinea Pig is exclusively of a vegetable nature, 

 and while feeding it generally sits on its hinder feet, and carries its 

 food to its mouth with its fore-paws. 



An idea of the extreme fecundity of this animal may be formed 

 from the fact that it begins to breed at ten months of age, that each 



brood consists of an aver- 

 age of six or eight, and 

 that in less than six 

 weeks after the birth of 

 the yotmg family they 

 are driven to shift for 

 y\ s themselves, and the 

 ^-^•* mother is then ready for 

 '>^^H^^3iSC^-'2^^^'^''' " another brood. The 



_, ., r, ,^^ ■ A ' \ yo^ng Guinea Pigs are 



The Guinea Pig iCavia Aperea). t ° -xi ^i • 



born with their eyes 



open, and covered with hair„ and do not attain their full dimensions 



until they have reached the age of eight or nine months. 



The color of the Guinea Pig is very variable, but is generally com- 

 posed of white, red, and black, in patches of different size and shape 

 in each individual. The bare portions of the skin are flesh-colored, 

 and the eye is broAvn. The animal is of little direct use to mankind, 

 as its flesh is held in very low estimation, and its hair is so slightly 

 attached to the skin that its coat is useless to the furrier. 



The Common Hare is known from the rabbit by the redder hue of 

 its fur, the great proportionate length of its black-tipped ears, which 

 are nearly an inch longer than the head, by its very long hind-legs, 

 and its large and prominent eyes. When fully grown it is of consid- 

 erable size, weighing on the average about eight or nine pounds, and 

 sometimes attaining the weight of tw-elve, or even thirteen, pounds. In 

 total length it rather exceeds two feet, the tail being about three inches 

 long. The color of the common Hare is grayish brown on the upper 

 portions of the body, mixed with a dash of yellow ; the abdomen is 

 white, and the neck and breast are yellowish white. The tail is black 

 on the upper surface and white underneath, so that w^hen the creature 

 runs it exhibits the white tail at every leap. Sometimes the color of 

 the Hare deepens into black, and there are many examples of albino 

 specimens of this animal. 



