342 Animal Lite 
‘go in pairs to hunt them down, assisted by dogs. One man takes the dogs and 
beats the forest through in the neighbourhood of the river, where the other man has 
stationed himself in a boat. On being pursued by the dogs the agoutis take to the 
river—being excellent swimmers, although unable to dive—where they fall an easy prey 
to the man in the boat, either by being killed for food or captured alive and sold 
for a few pesetas to some purchaser who wants one as a pet, many people in Brazil 
keeping one or two agoutis roaming at large in the patio of the house. 
In this country, however, it is not advisable to allow them such liberty, as, if 
killed by a dog, they cannot be replaced at the expenditure of a few coppers; so a 
cage is a necessity. This must be fairly large, say not less than four feet in length: 
by three in height and width. Galvanized wire netting can be used, but is not 
recommended, quarter-inch rod iron being far preferable owing to its extra strength. 
All the projecting edges and corners of wood should be zinc-covered, as the agouti is 
very fond of trying the edges of 
its teeth on any convenient piece 
of wood; and if ever set at lberty 
4 for a short time to run about 
. the room a very watchful eye 
must be kept upon it, as it is 
particularly lable to use its teeth 
upon chan: legs, mouldings of 
doors, and any carved work on 
sideboards or bookcases, usually 
selecting the most expensive and 
valuable articles of furniture for the 
purpose. This habit of gnawing 
must. not be entirely checked, as 
it is the natural means of keeping 
the chisel-edged incisor-teeth in 
proper condition, and therefore 
some wood—a small piece of a 
tree-branch a couple of feet long 
and two or three inches in 
diameter—must be provided for 
the purpose of the agouti exercising 
ek PEERS its teeth on, which otherwise would 
NGOUEE ay "grow to an abnormal length, be- 
coming at last an actual deformity. 
The food vessels are best of strong earthenware; they are better than the heavy 
metal ones, as, although the latter are less likely to be overturned and broken, they 
are very liable to get rusty and unsightly, and are not very easy to keep clean. ‘The 
earthenware ones, on the other hand, simply want dipping in hot water and then wiping 
dry with a towel to be perfectly clean and wholesome again. Nuts, greens, and fruit— 
such as apples and bananas—carrots, and puppy biscuits form the principal items in their 
dietary; and the agouti usually sits up with its food in its forepaws, eating after the 
manner of a squirrel, as is represented in one of the illustrations, that particular 
agouti—the West Indian species—being one of His Majesty’s, King Edward the Seventh. 
It is rather curious that agoutis, although gregarious in their native haunts, are 
very unsociable animals in captivity, preferrmg to be alone in a cage and resenting 
the introduction of a companion to a marked degree. If one be introduced—except 
a female at a proper season—a vigorous combat is soon in progress, and usually 
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