THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 137 



province between these two great rivers. Near Buenos Ayres 

 these animals are exceedingly common. Their most favour- 

 ite resort appears to be those parts of the plain which during 

 one-half of the year are covered with giant thistles, to the 

 exclusion of other plants. The Gauchos affirm 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, and a man on horseback pass- 

 ing by seems only to present an object for their grave con- 

 templation. They run very awkwardly, and when running 

 out of danger, from their elevated 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 

 an irregular heap, which frequently amounts to as much as 

 a wheelbarrow would contain. I was credibly informed that 

 a gentleman, when riding on a dark night, dropped his 

 watch; he returned in the morning, and by searching the 

 neighbourhood of every bizcacha hole on the line of road, 

 as he expected, he soon found it. This habit of picking 

 up whatever may be lying on the ground anywhere near its 

 habitation, must cost much trouble. For what purpose it 

 is done, I am quite unable to form even the most remote 

 conjecture: it cannot be for defence, because the rubbish 

 is chiefly placed above the mouth of the burrow, which 

 enters the ground at a very small inclination. No doubt 

 there must exist some good reason; but the inhabitants of 

 the country are quite ignorant of it. The only fact which 

 I know analogous to it, is the habit of that extraordinary 

 Australian bird, the Calodera maculata, which makes an 

 elegant vaulted passage of twigs for playing in, and 

 which collects near the spot, land and sea-shells, bones, 

 and the feathers of birds, especially brightly coloured 

 ones. Mr. Gould, who has described these facts, informs 

 me, that the natives, when they lose any hard object, 



