142 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



of the body. In its habits the Paca very much resembles the Agouti. It usually lives singly, or 

 sometimes in pairs, on the borders of the forests, or near the banks of rivers, taking up its abode 

 during the day either in a hole at the root of some tree, or in a burrow excavated by its own 

 labour, which is generally carried to a depth of four or five feet. Its food consists of the 

 leaves, fruits, and flowers of various plants, and, like the Agouti, it occasionally does mischief in 

 the corn-fields and gardens. The female produces only one, or at most two, young at a birth, 

 The Paca swims well, and can cross even a broad river in this way. Its flesh, like that of the 

 Agouti, is very well flavoured, and is consumed both by natives and Europeans. 



FAMILY XV. DINOilYIDJE. 



This family has been founded for the reception of a single species, of which only a single 

 specimen has hitherto been obtained. It is described by Professor Peters under the name of Dinomys 

 BranicJcii. In its external appearance it closely resembles the Paca (Cvelogenys paca), but 

 may at once be distinguished from that animal by its possession of only four toes both before and 

 behind. The ears are short and rounded ; the upper lip deeply cleft ; the incisors very broad ; 

 the molars four on each side, and divided into transverse plates by folds of enamel ; the clavicles are 

 imperfect ; and the tail of moderate length and well clothed with hair. The animal, which inhabits 

 the high mountain regions of Peru, is of the size of the Paca, or about two feet long, exclusive 

 of the tail, which measures rather more than nine inches. Its general colour is grey, produced 

 by the sprinkling of white among nearly black hairs ; and on each side of the body are numerous 

 large white spots, of which the upper ones nearly run together, so as to form two longitudinal bands. 

 The extremity of the tail is black. 



The only known example of this Rodent was obtained by M. Constantin Jelski at the Colonie 

 Amable Maria, on the Montana de Vitoc, in Peru, having been found at daybreak walking about the 



yard. It showed no fear of man, 

 and was easily killed by a sword 

 cut or two on the head. The 

 species would appear to be rare, 

 as the inhabitants of the neigh- 



O 



bourhood were not acquainted 

 with it. Of course nothing is 

 known of its habits. 



The chief interest at present 

 attaching to this animal, there- 

 fore, consists in its peculiar 

 combination of characters. Ex- 

 ternally, as already stated, it re- 

 sembles the Paca, with which it 

 also agrees in the S-like form of 

 the nostrils, and in the structure 

 of the limbs (except the number 

 of toes). In the lamellar struc- 

 ture of the molar teeth, in the 

 structure of the skull, and of the 

 skeleton generally, and especially 

 in the flattened form of the front 

 of the sternum and the develop- 

 ment of clavicles, it differs from 



the Paca and all other Rodents with hoof-like nails. In some minor particulars it resembles 

 the Capybara. By the structure of the molar teeth and certain osteological characters, it is most 

 nearly allied to the Chinchillas ; while it approaches the genus Capromys among the Octodontidse in 



THE DIXOMYS. (After Peters.) 



