232 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



and Alpaca, both probably derived from the wild Guanaco (Lama 

 guanacus), which now ranges from the mountain regions of 

 Ecuador and Peru to Tierra del Fuego. 



The Llama (Lama lama), an animal much smaller than the 

 camel, has been an important beast of burden in Peru and Bolivia 

 from ancient times, though now largely replaced by horses, mules, 

 and oxen. Its flesh and wool are also of value. At the time 

 of the Spanish Conquest it is said that some 300,000 llamas 

 were employed in transporting silver from the famous mines of 

 Potosi. 



Fig. 1167. Alpacas (Lama pacos] 



The Alpaca (L. pacos, fig. 1167) is somewhat bigger than a 

 large goat, and is bred for the sake of its flesh, and more 

 especially on account of the fine qualities of its fleece, which is 

 distinguished for its softness and elasticity. The fine straight 

 hairs average from 7 to 9 inches in length, and are strong without 

 being coarse, differing in this respect from wool of other kinds. 



THE PIG (Sus SCROFA). While oxen, sheep, and goats are well 

 adapted to the needs of pastoral nomad races, it is quite otherwise 

 with swine, which are notoriously difficult to drive from place to 

 place. Their domestication is, in fact, one mark that their owners 

 have abandoned a wandering life, and entered upon the agri- 

 cultural stage of civilization, which is a distinct advance upon the 

 pastoral one. We should expect therefore that the prehistoric 



