212 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



Bolivia, where they live in barren stony places, running up and 

 down high rocks, however steep, with the greatest agility. They are 

 social, and live in burrows, to which they retire on the slightest 

 alarm, so that the hunters are obliged to avail themselves of the 

 services of tame Peruvian Weasels to dislodge them, much as we do 

 with Ferrets in the case of Rabbits ; the South American Weasel, 

 however, appears to be sufficiently accommodating to retrieve the Chin- 

 chilla it has killed. Living in a wild state on herbage, roots, and 

 moss, the Chinchilla is easy to keep in captivity, and makes a charm- 

 ing little pet, though not remarkable for intelligence. It has often 

 bred in the London Zoological Gardens ; the young appear to be few 

 in number, and to be born in a precocious condition, like young 

 Hares rather than Rabbits. So useful and charming a little animal 

 ought certainly to be domesticated, if only as a fur-producer, as it 

 gives no more trouble to keep than a Rabbit. In Peru there is 

 a slightly different species of Chinchilla, the Short-tailed (C. brevi- 

 caudatd). 



THE LONG-TAILED CHINCHILLA 



{Lagidium cuvieri) 



WITH a general resemblance to the Common Chinchilla, this species 

 differs by its smaller ears and long well-clad tail, as well as by having 

 only four toes on the fore-feet. It is also a much larger animal, being 

 as big as a good-sized Rabbit, and its fur, which cannot be compared 

 in quality with that of the true Chinchilla, is not of so pure a grey. 

 It inhabits the same districts as that animal, and has much the same 

 habits ; it is rarely seen in captivity. 



