380 ANIMALS OF THE 



tion, although, perhaps, an inadequate and a very 

 confused one. 



Upon that confused idea, however, it will be 

 our business to work ; to bring it by degrees to 

 greater precision ; to mark out the differences of 

 form, and thus give the clearest notions that words 

 can easily convey. The known animal is a kind 

 of rude sketch of the figure we want to exhibit ; 

 from which, by degrees, we fashion out the shape 

 of the creature we desire should be known ; as a 

 statuary seldom begins his work till the rude out- 

 line of the figure is given by some other hand. 

 In this manner, I have placed the Capibara among 

 the hog kind, merely because it is more like a hog 

 than any other animal commonly known ; and yet, 

 more closely examined, it will be found to differ 

 in some of the most obvious particulars. 



The Capibara resembles a hog of about two 

 years old, in the shape of its body, and the coarse- 

 ness and colour of its hair. Like the hog, it has 

 a thick short neck, and a rounded bristly back ; 

 like the hog, it is fond of the water and marshy 

 places, brings forth many at a time, and, like it, 

 feeds upon animal and vegetable food. But, when 

 examined more nearly, the differences are many 

 and obvious. The head is longer, the eyes are 

 larger, and the snout, instead of being rounded 

 as in the hogj is split, like that of a rabbit or a 

 hare, and furnished with thick strong whiskers ; 

 the mouth -is not so wide, the number and the 

 form of the teeth are different, for it is without 

 tusks : like the peccary, it wants a tail ; and, un- 

 like to all others of this kind, instead of a cloven 



