830 MR. W. H. HUDSON ON THE [Nov. 1 9, 



a remarkable wny of dusting themselves : the animal suddenly throws 

 himself on his back, and, bringing over his hind legs towards his head, 

 depresses them till his feet touch the ground. In this strange pos- 

 ture he scratches up the earth with great rapidity, raising a little 

 cloud of dust, then rights himself with a jerk, and, after an interval, 

 repeats tbe dusting. Usually they scratch a hole in the ground to 

 deposit their excrements in. Whilst opening one of the outside 

 burrows that had no communication with the others, I once discovered 

 a vast deposit of their dung (so great that it must have been accu- 

 mulating for years) at the extremity. To ascertain whether this 

 be a constant or only a casual habit, it would be necessary to open 

 up entirely a vast number of vizcacheras. When a Vizcacha dies in 

 his burrow, the carcass is, after some days, dragged out and left 

 upon the mound. 



The language of the Vizcacha is wonderful for its variety. When 

 the male is feeding he frequently pauses to utter a succession of loud, 

 percussive, and somewhat jarring cries ; these he utters in a leisurely 

 manner, and immediately after goes on feeding. Often he utters 

 this cry in a low grunting tone. One of his commonest expressions 

 sounds like the violent hawking of a man clearing his throat. At 

 other times he bursts into piercing tones that may be heard a mile 

 off, beginning like the excited and quick-repeated squeals of a young 

 pig, and growing longer, more attenuated, and quavering towards the 

 end. After retiring alarmed into the burrows, he repeats at intervals 

 a deep internal moan. All these, and many other indescribable 

 guttural, sighing, shrill, and deep tones, are varied a thousand ways 

 in strength and intonation according to the age, sex, or emotions of 

 the individual ; and I doubt if there is in the world any other four- 

 footed thing so loquacious or with a dialect so extensive. I take great 

 pleasure in going to some spot where they are abundant, and sitting 

 quietly to listen to them ; for they are holding a perpetual discussion 

 all night long, which the presence of a human being will not interrupt. 



At night, when the Vizcachas are all out feeding, in places where 

 they are very abundant (and in some districts they literally swarm) any 

 very loud and sudden sound, as the report of a gun or a clap of unex- 

 pected thunder, will produce a most extraordinary effect. No sooner 

 has the report broken on the stillness of night than a perfect storm of 

 cries bursts forth over the surrounding country. After eight or nine 

 seconds there is in the sounds a momentary lull or pause ; and then it 

 breaks forth again, apparently louder than before. There is so much 

 difference in the tones of different animals that the cries of individuals 



so depressed that it comes under the cushion of skin and cannot possibly get 

 before the bristles, or interfere with their coming against the skin in scratching, 

 as would certainly be the case if this toe were free as the outer one. 



Again, the Vizcachas appear to form the deep trenches before the burrows by 

 scratching the earth violently backwards with the hind claws. Now tbese straight, 

 sharp, dagger-shaped claws, and especially the middle one, are so long that the 

 Vizcacha is able to perform all this rough work without the bristles coming into 

 contact with the ground and so getting worn by the friction. The Tehnelcho 

 Indians comb their hair with a brush-comb very much like that on the Vizca- 

 cha's toe, but it is sad to think that they (the Tehuelchos) make so little use of it. 



