THE AMERICAN EODENTS. 341 



The Rodents of the genera Capybara, Agouti, and Paca, are 

 widely diffused over the plains of Tropical America. Of the three, 

 the Capybara (Hydrochcerus capybarci) is the largest. He attains the 

 size of a sheep, has a voluminous head, small round ears, eyes large 

 and black, a thick divided nose flanked by formidable whiskers, a 

 short neck, a thick body covered with short, coarse, russet hair, and 

 short legs ; altogether, not a " thing of beauty." Like the peccary, 

 he is tailless, and in a manner web-footed, being thus adapted for a 

 semi-aquatic life. 



These great Rodents, says the illustrious author of " The Origin of 

 Species," in one of his earlier works,* are generally called " Car- 

 pinchos ; " they occasionally frequent the islands in the mouth of the 

 Plata, where the water is quite salt, but are more abundant on the 

 borders of fresh- water lakes and rivers. In the day-time they either 

 lie among the aquatic plants, or openly feed on the turf plain. When 

 viewed at a distance, from their manner of walking and colour, they 

 resemble pigs ; but when seated on their haunches, and attentively 

 watching any object with one eye, they re- assume the appearance of 

 their congeners, the Caries. Both the front and side view of their 

 head wears quite a ludicrous aspect, from the great depth of 

 their jaw. 



The Capybara leads no joyous life apparently, for in the water he 

 is perseveringly pursued by the crocodile, and in the plain by the 

 jaguar. He runs so awkwardly as to be easily caught by hand, and 

 the South Americans profess to relish his flesh. 



The Paca (Ccelogenys) differs from the Capybara in the complex 

 structure of his molar teeth. He inhabits the woody regions of South 

 America, where he is generally found in the vicinity of water, con- 

 cealing himself in burrows so near the surface, that the pedestrian's 

 foot often intrudes within them. His form is thick and clumsy, 

 spotted with white on the sides, and intermediate in size and appear- 

 ance between a hog and a hare.^f He is about a foot in height and 



* Dr. Darwin, " Journal of a Naturalist " (Voyage of the Beagle. 3rd vol.) 

 t H. W. Bates, " The Naturalist on the River Amazons." 



