30 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:1— Jan., 1917 



notes of the bird, for the canary gives vocal expression to 

 several emotions which we may understand. On p. 50 may 

 be found a short account of the habits of this bird on its 

 native islands; a more complete story is given in the Pet Book, 



p. 138. 



«jS^ The Guinea Pig. — This little cousin 



» m\ of the rabbit is a long way from being 

 . ^^jflr any kind of a pig, nor does it come from 

 ^^c^30t Guinea, but it and all its relatives flour- 

 ish in South America. It would be better 

 if we could learn to call it by its real name, ' ' cavy. ' ' The ancestors 

 of our common pet are supposed to have been domesticated in 

 ancient times by the Incas of Peru, since mummies of cavies are to 

 be found in the cemeteries. Cavies were esteemed highly as food 

 by various tribes of South American Indians. 



The guinea pig is a stout, compact little creature with short, 

 rounded ears and no tail ; its legs are short compared with its body ; 

 the front feet have four toes and the hind feet three ; the toes are 

 armed with rather stubby nails ; although the cavy is a true rodent 

 it has short incisors, and the back teeth have crosswise ridges. 

 The language of the guinea pig is not very extensive, consisting of 

 squeaks and grunts. In a wild state the cavies are not truly 

 diurnal in habits, although they are partly so. They make their 

 homes in burrows or in crevices in rocks. They are vegetable 

 feeders, and eat almost any kind of succulent food. In their native 

 country, where it is never cold enough to freeze, they have green 

 food all the year round. We feed them on grass, lettuce, apples, 

 and especially upon carrots. They are also fond of rolled oats. 

 Although they do not drink often, when fed upon vegetables, we 

 always keep them supplied with water. 



Guinea pig babies are very precocious. They are fully clothed 

 and have their eyes open from the first, and are able to take care of 

 themselves if necessary when only a day or two old. The best 

 known varieties of this pet are as follows : The English, which has 

 a short smooth coat, like the original wild cavy, and with varying 

 colors. The Abyssinian, which has a rough coat, arranged in cow- 

 licks of rosettes. The Angora, which has a smooth coat of long, 

 soft hair, and occurs in many colors and patterns. The Peruvian 

 has the long hair of the Angora, and the rosettes of the Abyssinian, 

 and is a most frowsy little creature. While all these varieties may 



