BASTARD CHINCHILLA. 267 



arriving in London, and some via le Havre in France. 

 This fur is chiefly used in England and the United 

 States, and a few in Germany. It is manufactured into 

 sets of trimmings, muffs, capes, boas, etc. Many skins 

 are shipped with pepper to preserve them from moth 

 or worm. 



CHINCHILLONE, OK LAGOTIS. 

 Lagotis cuvieri. 



One would naturally infer from the Spanish name 

 Chinchillone, or small Chinchilla, that this animal was 

 very small, but it is, on the contrary, almost double the 

 size of the Chinchilla proper, being about 1 foot long, 

 not including the 8 inches of the tail. 



The fur is long, fine, and rather thick, but being 

 ragged, is consequently of little value, and but a few 

 hundred skins are imported annually, fetching about 5s. 

 per dozen. 



The Lagotis is yellower than the Chinchilla ; it is of a 

 dingy purplish-drab, yellower at the neck, and there is 

 a ridge of black running down about one-third of the 

 back. The ears are rather long and upright, like those 

 of a wild Eabbit. The tail is covered with bristly hairs 

 similar to the Chinchilla. There is said to be a black 

 variety of this animal, but we have never seen one. 



The Chinchillone inhabits Buenos Ayres, and other 

 parts of South America perhaps Bolivia and Peru. 



By some persons this animal is supposed to be a cross- 

 breed between the Babbit and Chinchilla. 



