310 ME. 0. V. APLiTf ON- THE [Mar. 20, 



living in Soriano, but especially so along tbe banks of the Saiice, 

 which runs through the camp belonging to my host at Santa Elena. 

 The Carpinchos there were also very tame indeed, — from the fact 

 that they were not molested. Accordingly I had exceptional 

 advantages for observing this, the largest rodent in the world, in 

 a state of nature. 



A favourite locality is a broad laguna in the river, furnished 

 with open water, and also beds of " camelotes," — a sloping open 

 gi-assy bank on one side, where the Carpinchos can lie in the day- 

 time in the cooler weather, sleeping and basking in the sunshine ; 

 on the other a low shelving bank, clothed with " sarandi " scrub 

 growing out into the black reeking mud and shallow water beyond. 

 The stems of the sarandi in the festering mud have a gloomy 

 appearance, sometimes brightened in spring by the large pink 

 flower of a convolvulus climbing up the stems. In one or two 

 places of this description I could almost always make sure of seeing 

 some Carpinchos — sometimes a herd of a dozen or fifteen together, 

 for they are sociable. Tou might meet with them at any part of 

 the rivers where there was plenty of water, or in the monte on 

 the banks, and I have " put one up " in thick dry paja fifty javds 

 or more from a river. At night they are said to wander for some 

 distance, to visit maize chacras and quintas. When alarmed they 

 snort violently, and rush impetuously into the river with a gi'eat 

 splash and noise. It is said that a frightened Carpiucho making 

 for the river will not turn out of its way for anything, and that if 

 you are between them and the river they will knock you over. 

 I can well believe it, for they give one the idea of being the most 

 stupid animals in existence ; and an examination of their skulls 

 shows they are literally exceedingly thick-headed. The paces of 

 the Carpiucho are a walk and a hurried gallop reminding one of 

 that of a pig, but most likely differing little in character from that 

 of a guinea-pig, which the Carpincho resembles in shape and make. 

 Probably their habit of rushing impetuously into the rivers is the 

 reason why some horses are so frightened at these animals ; the 

 horses may have been scared i^-hen they went down to drink, or 

 perhaps even charged by two or three lumbering brutes. Two 

 horses wliich I rode were both frightened at Carpinchos, and one 

 of them at the first sound of a snort became almost unmanageable 

 and always tried to " clear out." 



Sometimes Carpinchos are much more tame than at others. If 

 they are on the opposite side of a small river they often take no 

 notice at all ; and I have watched them in the autumn sitting up 

 on their haunches like dogs sunning themselves, or lying asleep on 

 their bellies with their fore paws stretched out in front of them 

 and their heads in some cases laid on their paws, a little on one 

 side. I have also on more than one occasion walked up within 

 half a dozen yards of them. Sometimes when you approach a 

 little herd of them they sound their alarm and merely watch you, 

 walking slowly down to the water as you get nearer. At other 

 times they rush impetuously into the water at the first sign of 



