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I consider these animals as intermediate spe- 

 cies which unite the goat, sheep, stag, and the 

 camel ; and from the following descriptions it 

 will he seen that my opinion is not unfounded. 



The vicugna (camellus vicuna) is, according 

 to M. Buffon, only the paco in its original state 

 of liberty ; hut in this, as well as in many other 

 particulars which concern America, that great 

 naturalist has been misinformed. The paco, or 

 the alpaco, and the vicugna are two animals of 

 the same genus, but of very different species. 

 It is certain that they never copulate, although 

 they live upon the same mountains, and the w ild 

 paco, as well as the tame, is very common in Peru. 

 The vicugna is nearly the size of the tame goat ; 

 it resembles it particularly in the shape of its 

 back, rump, and tail, but differs from it in having 

 a much longer neck, which is frequently twenty 

 inches in length, in its head which is round and 

 without horns, in its ears which are small and 

 -fctraight, in its muzzle which is short and without 

 a beard, and in its legs which are twice the 

 height of those of the goat. It is covered with 

 a very fine wool of the colour of dried roses, 

 which will take any dye, and is used in the coun- 

 try in the manufacture of a variety of cloths. 

 This wool is kno v,n in Europe, and very highly 

 valued. The paco is most robust and of or 

 thicker make than the vicugna; its muzzle is 

 longer, and its wool is also longer and not so 



