THE CHINCHILLA 33 



rouo-h tail. Their fur is soft, but not nearly so fine as that of the 

 near-related Chinchilla {Chinchilla lanigera). This little crea- 

 ture, which is somewhat larger than our 

 squirrel, has large and brilliant eyes, an erect 

 tail, strong bristles on the upper lip, and 

 almost naked, rounded ears. It lives in 

 burrows, feeding chiefly upon roots, and is 

 found in such numbers in the Chilian Andes chinchilla 



that its holes considerably increase the diffi- 

 culty of travelling. The fur, which is of a remarkably close 

 texture, is too well known to require any further description. 



Where ruminants and rodents abound it may easily be ima- 

 gined that beasts of prey will not be wanting. The cunning 

 fox {Canis Azarce) waylays both the chinchillas and the water- 

 birds; and, impelled by hunger, the Puma, or American lion, 

 ascends even to the borders of eternal snow in quest of the 

 vicuna and the deer. The veta, therefore, which is so de- 

 structive to the domestic cat, seems to have no influence upon 

 him. But the monarch of the Puna is, unquestionably, the 

 mighty condor, who, soaring over the highest peaks of the 

 Andes, sees on one side the Pacific rolling its heavy breakers 

 against the coast, and on the other the Maranon, or Maragnon, 

 disappearing in the hazy distance of the primitive forest. No 

 created being embraces with one glance so vast an horizon, — a 

 scenery of such unparalleled grandeur ; but, indiff'erent to the 

 beauties of Nature, the piercing eye of the lordly vulture sweeps 

 over the Puna, only to espy the mule that has sunk under its 

 load, or the llama or sheep on the point of giving birth to its 

 young ; then, descending mth the rapidity of an arrow, he tears 

 the entrails of the new-born creature, indifferent to the cries of 

 the defenceless mother. 



The frequent showers and snow-falls of the Puna naturally 

 give rise to numerous swamps and lagunes, which afford nourish- 

 ment to an abundance of birds, — such as the beautiful snow- 

 white Huachua goose (Chloejphaga melanoptera), with dark- 

 green wings of a metallic lustre ; the licli, a species of plover ; 

 the ibis ; the long-legged flamingo ; the Quiullagull (Larus ser- 

 ranus) ; and the gigantic coot {Fulica gigantea), which, unable 

 to fly, dives in the cold waters, and builds its nest on the solitary 

 stones which rise above the surface. 



