CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 1. RODENTIA. 



403 



CODIT, OR SPHIGGUEE. 



described by Buffon under the name of Coendozi, to which animal it has some analogy. It is 

 about eighteen inches long, and the color is brown. Its movements are slow, and sometimes it 

 continues twenty-four hours without a change of place. It is essentially a climber, and one 

 described by Azara, in a state of domesticity, never walked on the floor, or on a flat surface, but 

 crawled over the backs of the chairs, and placed itself on the window-shutters, where it remained 

 for a long time. It ate sitting on its haunches, taking its food in its fore-paws. It was fed on 

 bread, maize, manioc, herbs, and leaves, with flowers and fruits of various kinds. 



The other known species are the S. spinosus, S. villosus, S. melanurus, and S. bicolor, all of 

 various parts of South America. They resemble the S. insidiosus, and indeed all are regarded as 

 the same species by some naturalists. 



Genus CHETOMYS : Chcetomys. — Of this there is a single species, the C. sab-sjyinosus, having 

 cylindrical, sharp-pointed spines; the body thin and long, tail large, color a grayish-brown. The 

 size is nearly that of the Couiy, the body measuring about eleven inches, and the tail ten. It is 

 found in Brazil. 



Genus SYNETHERE, or COENDOU: Synetheres.—Oi this, the most noted species is the 

 CoENDor, or Brazilian Porcupine, S. prehensilis. It is the Cuandu of Marcgrave and Piso ; 

 the Orico Cachero and Espinho of the Portuguese ; the Hoitzlacuatzin of Hernandez, and is thus 

 described by Pennant: nose short and blunt; long white whiskers; beneath the nose a bed of 

 small spines; top of the head, back, sides, and base of the tail, covered with spines; the longest 

 on the lower part of the back and tail, three inches in length, very sharp, white, barred near their 

 points with black; adhere closely to the skin, which is quite naked between them; arc shorter 

 and weaker as they approach the belly; on the breast, belly, and lower part of the legs are' con- 

 verted into dark-brown bristles; feet divided into four toes; claws very long; on the place of the 

 < thumb a great protuberance; tail eighteen inches long, slender, and taper toward the end; the 



