1833.J HABITS OF THE GUANACO. lf,7 



bold, and readily attack a man by striking him from behind with 

 both knees. It is asserted that the motive for these attacks is 

 jealousy on account of their females. The wild guanacos, how^- 

 ever, have no idea of defence ; even a single dog will secure one 

 of these large animals, till the huntsman can come up. In many 

 of their habits they are like sheep in a flock. Thus when they 

 see men approaching in several directions on horseback, they 

 soon become bewildered, and know not which way to run. Tins 

 greatly facilitates the Indian method of hunting, for they are 

 thus easily driven to a central point, and are encompassed. 



The guanacos readily take to the water : several times at 

 Port Valdes they were seen swimming from island to island. 

 Byron, in his voyage, says he saw them drinking salt water. 

 Some of our officers likewise saw a herd apparently drinking tlie 

 briny fluid from a salina near Cape Blanco. I imagine in several 

 parts of the country, if they do not drink salt water, they drink 

 none at all. In the middle of the day they frequently roll in the 

 dust, in saucer-shaped hollows. The males fight together ; tw^o 

 one day passed quite close to me, squealing and trying to bite 

 each other ; and several w^ere shot with their hides deeply scored. 

 Herds sometimes appear to set out on exploring parties : at 

 Bahia Blanca, where, within thirty miles of the coast, these 

 animals are extremely unfrequent, I one day saw the tracks of 

 thirty or forty, which liad come in a direct line to a muddy salt- 

 water creek. Tiiey tlien must have perceived that they were 

 approaching the sea, for they had wheeled with the regularity of 

 cavalry, and had returned back in as straight a line as they had 

 advanced. The guanacos have one singular habit, whicli is to 

 me quite inexplicable ; namely, that on successive days they 

 drop their dung in the same defined heap. I saw one of tiiese 

 heaps which was eight feet in diameter, and was composed of a 

 large quantity. This habit, according to M. A. d'Orbigny, is 

 common to all the species of the genus ; it is very useful to the 

 Peruvian Indians, who use the dung for fuel, and are thus saved 

 the trouble of collecting it. 



The guanacos appear to have favourite spots for lying down 

 to die. On the banks of the St. Cruz, in certain circumscribed 

 spaces, which were generally bushy and all near the river, the 

 ground was actually white with bones. On one such spot I 



