THE AGOUTI. 251 



Description, &c. 



time, the other turns his posteriors to his enemy, 

 kicks up behind like a, horse, and, by way of re- 

 taliation, scratches the sides of his opponent with 

 his hinder claw; so that sometimes they cover 

 each other with blood. 



This species would be almost innumerable if 

 many of them were not taken off by various 

 means. Some fall a prey to cats ; others to the 

 ferocity of the males ; and a greater proportion 

 both of young and old, perish by the severity of 

 the climate, or want of proper attention. 



THE 4GOUTL 



THE agouti is about the size of a rabbit, and 

 fcearly resembles that animal in the appearance 

 of its head, the arched form of its back, and in 

 the hind-legs being longer than the fore ; but its 

 hair is hard and bristly, like that of a young pig, 

 and of a reddish brown colour; its tail and ears 

 are shorter than in the rabbit; and it has but 

 three toes on the hinder feet, whereas the rabbit 

 has five. 



This animal seems to possess the voracity of 

 the hog ; as it eats indiscriminately of all things, 

 and when satiated, conceals the remainder for 

 some future occasion. Its ordinary food, how- 

 ever, consists of potatoes, yams, and the fruits 

 which fall from the trees in Autumn. It carries 

 its food to its mouth with its fore-paws, in the 



