ALLEN : MA^LMALL\ : GLIRES. 23 



circumstances that have caused the presence of several skeletons of 

 domestic cattle or, in earlier days, of buffalo, in similar places all over 

 our western plains." (Hatcher, /. c, pp. 266 and 27 l) 



Mr. Prichard has also given recently a very full account of the Guanaco 

 (/. c, pp. 253-287, ^.nd passim) adding many details of interest respecting 

 its habits, and an account of the Indian and other methods of hunting it. 



Order GLIRES. 



Exclusive of the great family Muridae, only four genera of Rodents 

 are represented in southern Patagonia, namely, Kerodon and Dolichotis 

 (family Caviidae), Viscaccia (family Chinchillidae), and Ctenomys (family 

 Octodontidae). The first three are each represented by a single species, 

 but Ctenomys numbers at least four within the area here under consider- 

 ation. They are all characteristic types of the pampas of Patagonia, 

 Argentina, and southern Bolivia. Even northern Patagonia is quite 

 beyond the range of Hares, Squirrels, Porcupines, and even of the large 

 Rats of the genus Nedomys, and of the Spiny Rats so characteristic of 

 southern Brazil and Paraguay. 



The abundance of Rodents is a striking feature of the Patagonian fauna. 

 Mr. Barnum Brown, who spent several months in 1899 in Tierra del 

 Fuego, and traversed large portions of the island in his geological explora- 

 tions, says (MSS. notes) : 



"Rodents are very abundant, especially in the valleys and along the 

 foot-hills where the entire earth over large areas is completely undermined. 

 In the northern part of Tierra del Fuego it is difficult to ride through the 

 campos on account of these burrows." 



Mr. Hatcher refers to the great numbers of these animals on the upper 

 Rio Chico. In connection with his notice of the Burrowing Owl and the 

 Short-eared Owl (Narrative, p. 121) he says: "And indeed there seemed 

 no limit to this source of their food supply, for not only was the surface 

 of the ground literally covered in many places with the well-used trails of 

 these small mammals, which crossed in every conceivable direction, but 

 in many places the earth beneath the surface was honeycombed to the 

 depth of a foot or more with their subterranean burrows, in such manner 

 that our horses sank at each step half way to their knees and the wheels 

 of our cart plowed great ruts in the surface of the ground." 



