541 HISTORY or 



animal's speed; and the jerboa, though, properly speaking, fur- 

 nished but with two, is one of the swiftest creatures in the 

 world. 



The jerboa is not above the size of a large rat, and its head is 



takeu up by Molina liimself, in a second edition of liis Essay, published iu 

 1810, which contains some trifling additions to his former article on the 

 chincliilla. We proceed to translate from the latter those passages which re- 

 late to the subject. ' The cliinchilla,' he says, ' is another species of field-rat, 

 in great estimation for the extreme fineness of its wool, if a rich fur as deli- 

 cate as the silken webs of the garden spiders may be so termed. It is of an 

 ash-grey, and sulficiently long for spimiing. The little animal which pro- 

 duces it is six inches long from the nose to the root of the tail, with small 

 pointed ears, a short muzzle, teeth like the house-rat, and a tail of moderate 

 length, clothed with a delicate fur. It lives in burrows uudergi-ound in the 

 open country of the northern provinces of Chili, and is very fond of being 

 in company with others of its species. It feeds upon the roots of various 

 bulbous plants which grow abundantly in those parts ; and produces twice a 

 year five or six young ones. It is so docile and mild in temper that if taken 

 into the hands it neither bites nor tries to escape ; but seems to take a plea- 

 sure in being caressed. If placed iu the bosom it remains there as still ana 

 ijuiet as if it were in its own nest. This extraordinary placidity may pos- 

 sibly be rather due to its pusillanimity, which renders it extremely timid. 

 As it is in itself peculiarly cleanly, there can be no fear of its soiling the 

 clothes of those who handle it, or of its communicating any bad traell to 

 them, for it is entirely free from that ill odour which characterizes the other 

 species of rats. For this reason it might well be kept in the houses with no 

 annoyance and at a trifling expense, « hich would be abundantly repaid by 

 the profits on its wool. The ancient Peruvians, who were far more indus- 

 trious than the modern, made of this wool coverlets for beds and valuable 

 stuffs. — There is found,' lie adds, ' in the same northern provinces another 

 little animal with fine wool called the Hardilla, which is variously described 

 by those who have seen it ; but as I have never observed it myself, I cannot 

 determine to what genus it belongs." There can be little doubt, we should 

 imagine, that this animal is identical with the chinchilla, the latter, as we 

 have already seen, being frequently spoken of by the name of arda, the same 

 with harda, of which hardilla is only the diminutive. 



'• We shall conclude our quotations oT former notices with the following 

 extract from Schmidtmeyer's " Travels into Chile over the Andes," Lon- 

 don, 4to., \S2i; which furnishes some particulars, apparently derived from 

 the traveller's own observation, that had not been touched upon by previous 

 writers. " The chincliilla," he says, " is a woolly field-mouse, which lives 

 underground, and chiefly feeds on wild onions. Its fine fur is M'ell known 

 in Eiuope ; that which comes from Upper Peru is rougher and larger than 

 the chinchilla of Chile, but not always so beautiful in its colour. Great 

 numbers of these animals are ceught in the neighbourhood of Coquimbo 

 and Copiapo, generally by boys wdth dogs, and sold to traders who bring 

 them to Santiago and Valparayso, from whence they are exported. The 

 Peruvian skins are either brought to Pjuenos-.\yres from the eastern parts 

 of the Andes, or sent to Lima. The extensive use of this fur has lately oc- 

 casioned a very considerable destruction of the animals " 



