fournier's utia. 473 



are cultivated there in profusion. Cellular labyrinths 

 riddle the rocks through and through, and their 

 hiding-places are intricate and difficult. As they 

 are secure in such localities against the pursuit of 

 dogs, the Conies brought for sale are always obtained 

 by trapping. They go out to feed, and return to 

 their lodgments, by a constant pathway, observed 

 to be well-trodden, and strewed with pellets of dung, 

 and leading into adjoining provision grounds. As 

 they feed at night, they are not commonly met with 

 abroad; but if they are surprised, and the track-way 

 to their holes be at some distance off, they may be 

 dodged, and run down, and taken. I have seen live 

 Conies brought into town, but they were always young 

 animals, and were said to have been run down and 

 caught before they could retreat to the rocks ; they 

 wanted the experience and cunning of the old ones, 

 though they are naturally of quick vision and of 

 acute scent, and their taste is delicate and fastidious. 

 " I mentioned Fournier's description of the Utia of 

 Cuba. He seems to have been the first naturalist 

 who described the true characteristics of this animal, 

 and assigned it its proper place in classification ; hence 

 the Cuba Cony has received his own name, Capromys 

 Furnieri. The distinguishing characteristic of our 

 species is its shorter tail. That appendage is about 

 half the length of that of the Capromys of Cuba. 

 Whatever may be the differences of power and of 

 habit which accompany this distinction, there seems 

 to be enough of a common character to make the 

 following extract from Fournier's account of his 

 animal applicable to the Jamaica species. ' Their 



