THE LAGOTIS. 



The Chinchilla is an inhabitant of Southern America, living chiefly among the higher 

 mountainous districts, where its thick silken fur is of infinite service in protecting it from 

 the cold. It is a burrowing animal, digging its subterranean homes in the valleys which 

 intersect the hilly country in which it lives, and banding together in great numbers in 

 certain favored localities. The food of the Chinchilla is exclusively of a vegetable nature, 

 and consists chiefly of various bulbous roots, which it disinters by means of its powerful 

 fossorial paws. While feeding, it sits upon its hinder feet, and conveys the food to its 

 mouth with its fore-feet, which it uses with singular adroitness. It is a most exquisitely 

 cleanly animal, as might be supposed from the beautiful delicacy of its fur, for we may 

 always remark, that whenever an animal is remarkable for the coloring or the texture 

 of its natural robes, it is always most assiduous in preserving them from any substance 

 that might stain their purity or 

 clog their fibers. 



The fur of the Chinchilla is 

 of a delicate clear gray upon the 

 back, softening into a grayish- 

 white on the under portions, and 

 its texture is marvellously soft 

 and fine. As the fur seems to be 

 of two different qualities in ani- 

 mals that are brought from differ- 

 ent parts of South America, it is- 

 supposed that there may be either 

 two distinct species of this ani- 

 mal, or at least two permanent 

 varieties, the hair of one being 

 very much more delicate than 

 that of the other. Besides being 

 dressed and employed as a fur, 

 the hair of the Chinchilla is so 

 long and soft that it is well 

 adapted for the loom, and has 

 been manufactured into various CHINCHILLA. Chinchilla laniger. 



fabrics where warmth and light- 

 ness are equally required. 



As the animal is very small, only measuring fourteen or fifteen inches in total length, 

 the tail occupying nearly one-third of the measurement, many skins are employed in 

 the manufacture of one article of ordinary dress, and the destruction of the Chinchilla 

 is necessarily very considerable in order to supply the constant demand for this 

 deservedly popular fur. 



As far as is known, the Chinchilla is not a very intelligent animal, seeming to be 

 hardly superior to the guinea-pig in intellect, and appearing scarcely to recognize even 

 the hand that supplies it with food. 



The LAGOTIS is distinguishable from the preceding animal by the structure of the 

 fore-feet, which are only furnished with four toes, while those of the Chinchilla possess 

 five. The ears are very long in proportion to the head, and being somewhat similar 

 to those of the hare, have gained for the animal the generic name of Lagotis, or Hare- 

 eared. 



The hinder limbs are long, and very much resemble those of the hare or rabbit ; and 

 the whole aspect of the creature partakes greatly of the leporine character. The coat 

 is very like that of the hare in color and texture, and is soft, long, and rather woolly, but 

 as it is only slightly attached to the skin is valueless as a fur. The long ears are 

 rounded at their extremities, and their margins are rolled inwards. The tail is so long 

 that it forms a ready means of separating the Lagotis from the hares or rabbits, being 

 quite as long as the body, and thickly covered with stiff hairs. 



It is an inhabitant of Peru, and takes up its residence in the crevices of the rocky 



