THE LLAMAS. 



135 



The Guanaco [Aiichenia huanacd) has the 

 form of a large fallow-deer, and lives both in 

 the plains of Patagonia, where the herds, led 

 by an old male, readily associate with the 

 rheas or South American ostriches, and in 

 the Cordilleras, where it climbs like a goat. 

 Its general colour is a dirty reddish-brown; 

 the under parts are whitish, and so also are 



the inner sides of the legs. The coat consists 

 of a fine wool with longer hairs interspersed. 

 The guanaco has been tamed in the moun- 

 tains; in the plains it is only hunted, and 

 always on horseback. It is caught by means 

 of the bolas, that is an apparatus consisting 

 of two balls attached to a long strap or thong, 

 which, after being swung round the head, are 





Fig. 20I. — The Alpaca {Auchenia Faco). 



thrown at the animal so as to entangle the 

 legs. 



The Llama (^Auchenia Lama {Lama peru- 

 ana) ), fig. 200, a domesticated form descended 

 in all probability from the guanaco, which 

 it resembles in form and proportions. In 

 relation to colour all sorts of varieties are met 

 with: brown, yellow, red, black, white, and 

 often even spotted examples. The llama is 

 the camel of the Cordilleras, and as a beast of 

 burden serves to carry on the trade across the 

 mountain passes between the mines and the 

 sea-coast. It can carry one hundredweight 

 at the outside. It runs and climbs well, but 

 cannot accomplish any great distances; when 

 loaded, at the most thirteen or fourteen miles 

 in a day. The llamas are gentle creatures, 



but require to be humanely treated. The 

 only resistance which they offer to violence 

 is to squirt their disgusting yellow spittle in 

 the face of their tormentor. When well 

 treated they are extremely docile. The hair 

 is coarse and can be used only to make string. 

 The flesh, especially of young fattened ani- 

 mals, is good. 



The Alpaca {Auchenia Paco), fig. 201, is 

 smaller than the preceding species, has 

 thinner legs, and a splendid coat of long soft 

 wool. The alpacas are kept in great herds 

 on the mountain plains, where they are not 

 nice as to their food. Once a year they are 

 collected with infinite trouble into larger herds 

 in order to be shorn. The wool, as every 

 one knows, is highly esteemed, and the flesh 



