THE LIFE OF MAMMALS 
“fancy work” of the squaws, who often exercised notable skill and taste, 
and produced thereby a truly native art. 
In Central and South Amcrica live a number of species of 
smaller and more thoroughly arboreal porcupines which have 
prehensile tails and otherwise differ from those of North Amer- 
ica; in one, the spines are little better than bristles. 
Associated with the porcupines anatomically, though very 
unlike them in form and mode of life, are the chinchillas, cavies, 
spiny rats, and some other little beasts which next 
demand attention. The chinchilla, whose delight- 
fully soft, silver-gray fur is so highly prized, is a small, long- 
eared, squirrel-like, nocturnal creature, living gregariously in 
the high Andes, where it follows the customs of the pikas, 
except that it often digs burrows for itself, and that its food is 
mainly roots. It is becoming rare. Another genus (Lagidium) 
are also mountain dwellers, but their fur is inferior. 
Closely allied to them are the viscachas or ‘‘bizcachas,” 
Chinchilla. 
BRAZILIAN TREE PORCUPINE. 
as Darwin spells it, which have been so particularly described 
by Hudson,* and which take the place on the plains 
of Argentina of our prairie dogs, and are equally 
pestiferous. Formerly they were extremely numerous, but now 
416 
Viscacha. 
