THE LLAMA (Lama lama) 
This animal was domesticated in very remote times by the 
ancient Peruvians, and even now is an important beast of burden 
in the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia, though the original breed 
has been replaced to a great extent by domesticated forms intro- 
duced from the Old World. In former times it was used in great 
numbers for the transport of silver ore from the famous mines of 
Potosi in Bolivia, more than 13,000 feet above the sea. 
The Llama may be described as an American cousin of the 
Camel, belonging, as it does, to the same group (Zy/epoda) of 
Ruminants or Cud-chewers. The earliest known members of this 
group were, however, native to North America, from which area 
the stock spread on the one hand into South America, and on the 
other into the Old World, having since become extinct elsewhere. 
