48 WHAT MR. DARWIN SAW. 



LA PLATA. 



THE BIZCACHA. 



THE bizcacha of the pampas (South American prairies) 

 somewhat resembles the large rabbit, but with bigger gnaw- 

 ing teeth and a long tail. It is a curious circumstance in 

 its geographical distribution that it has never been seen, 

 fortunately for the inhabitants of Banda Oriental, to the 

 eastward of the Kiver Uruguay ; yet in this province there 

 are plains which appear admirably adapted to its habits. 

 The Uruguay has formed an insuperable obstacle to its mi- 

 gration, although the broader barrier of the Parana has been 

 passed, and the bizcacha is common in Entre Rios, the prov- 

 ince between these two great rivers. Near Buenos Ayres 

 these animals are exceedingly common. Their favorite re- 

 sort appears to be those parts of the plain which, during 

 one half of the year, are covered with giant thistles in place 

 of all other plants. The Gauchos declare that it lives on 

 roots which, from the great strength of its gnawing-teeth, 

 and the kind of places frequented by it, seems probable. In 

 the evening the bizcachas come out in numbers, and quietly 

 sit at the mouths of their burrows on their haunches. At 

 such times they are very tame. They run very awkwardly, 

 and, when running out of danger, from their uplifted tails 

 and short front legs, much resemble great rats. Their flesh, 

 when cooked, is very white and good, but it is seldom used. 



The bizcacha has one very singular habit, namely, drag- 

 ging every hard object to the mouth of its burrow: around 

 each group of holes many bones of cattle, stones, thistle- 

 stalks, hard lumps of earth, dry dung, etc., are collected into 



