28 Anecdotal Natural History. 



four species, is found in America. These animals are 

 popularly known by the name of Lamas, and differ in 

 many respects from the true camels. 



In the first place, the toes of the foot, instead of 

 being connected, as in the camel, are separated, and 

 can be extended at will. This is on account of the 

 rocky and mountainous nature of the localities which 

 they inhabit, and in which the power of moving the 

 toes is necessary in order to give them a firm foothold. 

 All the Llamas are of very much less size than the 

 camel, the Guanaco, the largest, not standing much 

 more than three feet six inches at the shoulder. The 

 hair is long and woolly, and the general aspect of the 

 animals is remarkably like that of an overgrown sheep. 



The four species are the Vicugna, the Guanaco, the 

 Yamma, and the Alpaca. The first of these is found 

 in the most mountainous parts of Northern Chili and 

 Batavia, and is valuable on account of its skin, which 

 causes it to be much sought after. In other ways it is 

 entirely useless, as from its wild and untameable nature 

 it cannot be employed as a beast of burden. In 

 colour it is brown, approaching to grey beneath ; the 

 height is about two feet six inches at the shoulder. 



The Guanaco, which is found in the more northern 

 regions of Patagonia, is of a reddish-brown colour, the 

 ears and hind legs being grey, and stands about three 

 feet and a half at the shoulder. It lives in herds, 

 varying from ten to forty or more in number, and like 

 the sheep, under the guidance of a single leader, whose 

 orders are always implicitly obeyed. Should this 

 leader be killed or trapped, the flock seem perfectly 

 bewildered, and wander vaguely from place to place, 

 laying themselves open to easy capture by the hunters. 

 The sense of curiosity is very strongly developed in 

 the Guanaco, which, though naturally a wary and 

 timid animal, can be brought within a short distance 



