368 SOUTH AMEEICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



Fauna. 



The mammalian fauna of Bolivia differs little from that of Peru, except in 

 respect of the greater or less relative abundance of the various species. In the 

 region of the Yungas one of the animals most frequently met is the capybara, or 

 cabiai as it is called in Brazil {hydrochœnis capyhara), a large rodent about three 

 feet in length, which commits great devastations on the plantations along the 

 river-banks. In general appearance it resembles a diminutive hippopotamus, but 

 is allied to the guinea-pig family. 



The country is also extremely rich in all the smaller forms of animal life, such 

 as birds, butterflies and beetles. Humming-birds of exquisite form and colour are 

 met on the very summits of the mountains ; Hugo Reck saw some flitting about 

 on the Cerro de Potosi, over 14,450 feet above sea-level. 



V. 



Inhabitants of Bolivia — The Aymaras. 



The Aymaras, who constitute the chief ethnical element of the Bolivian nation, 

 are in almost exclusive possession of the plateau regions, and their domain also 

 encroaches northwards on Peruvian territory in the departments of Arequipa, 

 Moquegua and Cuzco. In these northern districts they are conterminous with the 

 Quichuas, while other Quichuas dwell in the neighbouring southern lands. 



But the true centre of the Aymara race lies in the islands, headlands and shores 

 of Lake Titicaca, where from remote times were grouped the Aymaras proper, 

 whose national name was afterwards extended to all the populations of like speech. 

 At the same time, this focus of primitive Aymara culture was a "holy land " for 

 the Incas themselves, whose national legends pointed to the Titicaca region as the 

 land whence came the civilisera of the Quichua nation. 



From these and many other indications, it may be inferred that the Incas 

 were themselves of Aymara origin or, at least, had adopted Aymara culture, and 

 perhaps Aymara was even the court language of the Inca dynasty. While all 

 other people conquered by the Quichuas were compelled to learn the language of 

 their masters, the Aymaras alone were privileged to continue the use of their 

 mother-tongue. 



But at the epoch when the Spaniards penetrated into the country the Aymaras, 

 having long been subdued, had already entered a period of decline, and were a less 

 polished people than the Quichuas. They had lost all memory of their ancient 

 culture, and, being no longer capable of raising monuments comparable to those 

 that their ancestors had erected in the Tiahuanuco peninsula, they attributed these 

 remains to a race of unknown builders, who were supjjosed to work in the dark, 

 ceasing at sunbreak. 



