15() Mr. O. Ti:oinas on 



Pnssinpr Tiow to tlie cavies of the Andean conntrit'S, Peru 

 and B •livia, we have Hr.st to identify Cavia cutleri, Bennett, 

 tlie earliest name connected with tiiat reoion. 



I he type-specimen, with imperfect skull, is in the British 

 Museum — no. 53. 8. 29. 2, — and I have carefully examined 

 it and compared it with the other material in the collection. 

 It is a melano, and on this account its colour has never been 

 able to be used for purposes of identitieation, while, although 

 called a " Peruvian cavy," its original locality has always 

 been doubtful. 



The conclusion I come to is that it is a domesticated guinea- 

 p;g — Cavia porcclhis, L., — it^ skull being too large for any 

 Peruvian wilil species, while it is closely matched by example3 

 ot C. porce'lus, among which, of course, black specimens are 

 by no means infrequent. 



With this troublesome name removed, the ordinary 

 Peruvian cavy should bear the name of 



Cavia tacliuduy Fitz. 



Oivin cidleri, Tschudi, Fauna Peruana, p. 195 (1845"). 

 Cavia Uchiidii, Fitzinger, SB. Ak. Wieii, Ivi. pt. i. p. 154 (98 in sppa- 

 rates) (1867). 



with type-locality Tga, on the coast, where T^^chudi saw tho 

 specimens he described. 



'I'he species is comparatively small, the skull about .58 to 

 62 mm. in length, and with small bullae. In colour it is 

 coarsely giizzled cinnamon, bnffy or greyish, and the under- 

 side varies from strongly buffy to nearly white. 



These variations appear to indicate four subspecies, as 

 folluws : — 



Cavia tschudii attihualpre, Osgood. 

 Cavia atahualpce, Osgood, Field 3Jus. Publ. x. p. 98 (191-3). 



Size fairly large, the bulla? larger than in the more southern 

 forms. Cohur dark, " evenly grizzled cinnamon and 

 blackish, the bases of the hairs dark drab tbllowed by two or 

 more annulations of cinnanion and blackish " ; back, and 

 especially rump, with numerous longer black hairs ; under 

 surface more or less cinnamon or buffy. Length of type- 

 tknll GO mm. 



ILih. N. Peru : Cajam irca. 



Ko Peruvian cavies that I have seen have more than otio 

 light annulalion on the hairs ; but, even if there is no mistake 

 in the observation, 1 should not consider ii sufficient reason 



