66 South American Animals 



confined to the Peruvian territory, and capable of carrying 

 from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five pounds 

 weight ; it was therefore of two-fold utility, heing valuable 

 both as yielding a fleece held in high estimation, and as a 

 patient beast of burden. The Alpaca is smaller and more 

 slender than the Llama, and was prized for its fine colored 

 wool, which is of a light brown hue. 



The Vicuna is of a smaller size than the Alpaca, and pro- 

 duces a long fine white silky fleece, highly prized for the su- 

 periority of the wool, which was exclusively used to make 

 cloth for the Incas and other members of the Imperial Family. 



Those varieties of the Peruvian sheep which abounded in 

 the higher regions of the Andes were regularly hunted twice 

 a year, when the imperial court presided over by the Inca 

 directed this important operation, which was conducted in the 

 following manner: — A thousand or more of loyal subjects 

 being collected, and a convenient well- closed spot in the 

 mountains selected, a line was formed around a wide space, 

 which was gradually shortened until the animals were driven 

 into the inclosure. The lazo was then employed to catch as 

 many as might be required of each tribe, the old ones being 

 always selected. The greater number of these were merely 

 shorn and turned loose again, but some were killed and dis- 

 tributed among the people as food. The wool was then 

 distributed according to its quality, and such of the Llamas 

 as were considered necessary, were reserved to replenish the 

 stock of beasts of burden. With such systematic regulations, 

 it is easy to perceive that the stock would continue to increase 

 both in quality and numbers, but after the conquest the abo- 

 riginal inhabitants were mostly destroyed or scattered, and 

 the destruction also extended to the animal tribes, which by 

 the instinct of self-preservation fled from their usual haunts, 

 and gradually retreated to the more remote tracts of the 

 Eastern Cordilleras. The flocks, formerly abundant, were 

 by this means scattered, and as a consequence gradually 

 reduced in numbers. The Llama of pure breed and the cross 

 with the Alpaca are still used as beasts of burden both in 

 Peru and on the table lands of Ecuador, Quito, and other parts. 

 Considering that in Upper and Lower Peru especially, and in 

 some tracts of Ecuador, where the Llama is used as a beast 

 of burden, that about 600,000 are in actual service, we can 

 imagine how numerous they have been in former times. 



The pure Alpaca is rarely to be found at present, but the 

 cross with it and the Llama, when properly attended to, 



