THE LARGER MAMMALS OF PATAGONIA 257 



I shot a young guanaco and concealed myself for the same reason, 

 the whole herd came back and, mountinsran eminence in the neio^h- 

 bourhood, scanned the scene of the disaster. They did not, how- 

 ever, venture near the place where the quarry was lying. Curiously 

 enough, wild cattle, though much more difficult of approach than 

 guanaco, often come back in the night lowing and bellowing to 

 visit the spot where a herd-mate has been killed, but before dawn 

 they invariably leave that part of the forest. 



The young guanaco is an easy quarry. We caught a consider- 

 able number of them for food with the aid of the hounds. 



On one occasion a young one was simply headed off from the 

 herd, its portrait taken, and then it was set free again. 



No. 5. Patagonian cavy {Dolichotis patagonicd). 



(Called "cavy" or " hare " indiscriminately by the I^nglish 

 residents ; liebre by the Argentines and Chilians ; PaaJii by the 

 Tehuelches.) 



The River Deseado forms the southern limit of the distribution 

 of the Patagonian cavy. In 1833 Darwin writes concerning this 

 animal, " They are found as far north as the Sierra Tapalguen 

 (lat. 2^Y ^d). and their southern limit is between Port Desire and 

 San Julian, where there is no change in the nature of the country." 

 As far as my experience goes, I never observed a caw after 

 October 23, upon which day I counted fourteen upon the pampa 

 between Lake Musters and the settlement of Colohuapi. The 

 residents of Colohuapi informed me that the place formed the 

 southern limit of the distribution of the cavy. It is, of course, 

 impossible to lay down an exact line, but 1 think it safe to sa\- th.u 

 the range of the cavy does not extend south of the 46th parallel. 

 Phis limit is the more remarkable inasmuch as the countrv south 

 ot lat. 46" does not in any way materially differ from that oxcr 

 which the caw is commonlv to be met with. One nK)st often finds 

 these animals on patches of dry mud. They are comparatively easy 

 to stalk, as easy as an English rabbit. The best method of shooting 

 them is, of course, with the rille, though occasionallv you mav start 

 them from a thicket and shoot them as vou would an l-'nu'lish hare 

 with a shot-'>Lin. Thev '>enerall\- wei'-h between iS 11). ami 2^ lb., 

 thouij'h I heard of one wliich I was assured weiijhed ;i lb. 



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