PORCUPINES. 33 



(3) The Bamboo-Rats and Rodent Moles of Asia and Africa 

 (Spalacida), with short tails, thick heavy bodies, and powerful 

 digging claws. (4) The Gophers and Pouched Mice (Geomyida), 

 somewhat similar to the last, but provided with pouches in 

 their cheeks, outside their mouths, often large enough to hold 

 a walnut. (5) The Dipodida (Case 30), consisting of the long- 

 legged and long-tailed Jerboas of North Africa and Asia, specially 

 modified for leaping lightly over a yielding sandy soil. The 

 Jumping Hare of the Cape Colony (Pedetes capensis) is also a 

 member of this family. 



The Hystricomorpha, or Porcupine section, contains the fol- 

 lowing : (1) The Octodontida (Case 31), with 17 or 18 genera, [Case 31.] 

 nearly all confined to South America, of which the best known is 

 the aquatic Coypu (Myopoiamus coypu), whose habits are similar 

 to those of the Water- Vole, and whose fur is thick and soft, arid of 

 considerable value. (2) The Porcupines (Hystricidd) (Cases 29 and [Cases 

 30, above), found both in the Old and New Worlds, are all covered 29 & 30< ^ 

 with stout variegated spines, although in some of the species these 

 are hidden in the long thick hair. The Porcupine of Southern 

 Europe (Hystrix cristatd] is now becoming very rare, but several 

 species closely allied to it are still very common in India and the 

 Malay Archipelago. They feed on fruit, bark, and roots, and live 

 in burrows of their own construction, with the exception of the 

 South-American Tree-Porcupines, which are wholly arboreal, and 

 have long prehensile tails. (3) The Chinchillas ( Chinchillida) , 

 celebrated for their beautiful soft fur. (4) The Agoutis and their 

 allies (Dasyproctidce) ; and (5) the Cavies (Caviidte) (Case 32), [Case 32$] 

 to which belong the little animals known to us as Guinea-pigs, 

 and the great Capybara (Hydrochcerus capybara}, by far the largest 

 of the Order. Its habits are somewhat similar to those of the 

 Hippopotamus, it being thoroughly aquatic, and feeding on water- 

 weeds, grass, and other vegetable substances. The last three 

 families are all entirely restricted to South America. 



The second suborder of Rodents, distinguished by possessing [Cas^s 

 two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw, consists only of the Hares 31 & 32.] 

 and Rabbits (Lepus) and the Pikas (Lagomys), animals far less 

 specialized for gnawing than the other Rodents, and showing, in 

 some respects, the links by which the Rodents are related to other 



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