870 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



pelts were shipped to Europe by way of Spain and 

 were esteemed extremely valuable and treasured as 

 great rarities; they have now become common. 



Chinchillas The traveler who climbs the Cordil- 

 Numerous in the leras from the western coast of South 

 Cordilleras. America perceives, when he has 

 reached an altitude of from six to nine, thousand 

 feet that the rocks for miles around are frequented 

 by great numbers of this Chinchilla and two varie- 

 ties of another species of the same family. In Peru, 

 Bolivia and Chile these animals must be very plenti- 

 ful, for travelers tell us that they have encountered 

 thousands of them in one day. The Chinchillas are 

 to be seen sitting in front of their holes on bright 

 days, but never on the sunny side of the rocks; 

 they invariably select the densest shade. In the 

 morning and evening hours they are still more fre- 

 quently to be seen. Then the mountains, and espe- 

 cially the tops of ridges of sterile, stony and rocky 

 regions, where vegetation i$ scantiest, is fairly alive 

 with them. On the apparently quite barren rocky 

 walls they skip about with the greatest speed and 

 activity. With surprising ease they climb to and fro 

 on walls which appear to offer no hold whatever. 

 They ascend perpendicular heights of from twenty 

 to thirty feet with an agility and rapidity so great 

 that the eye can hardly follow them. Though not 

 exactly shy, they do not suffer people to approach 

 them closely, and they disappear immediately at the 

 first signs of pursuit. 

 Propagation of No exact knowledge has as yet been 



the Chin- obtained as to the details of repro- 

 chilla. duction of the Chinchilla, though 



specimens in the ' London zoological garden have 

 given birth to young. In its untamed state the 

 breeding season seems not to be restricted to any 

 particular time of the year, and the natives say that 

 the number of young varies between four, and six. 

 In its native country the Chinchilla is often kept in 

 captivity, but it is still rarely shipped to Europe. 

 The grace of its movements, its cleanly habits and 

 the resignation with which it accepts its fate, soon 

 make it a favorite pet with people fond of animals. 

 It is so innocent and tame that one can permit it to 

 range the house at will. The only annoying trait 

 it possesses is its inquisitiveness; for it investigates 

 everything it finds, even dishes of food which are put 

 away rather high, for climbing tables and cupboards 

 is but child's play to it. Not infrequently it jumps 

 on somebody's head and shoulders. Its intelligence 

 is of about the same grade as that of the Rabbit or 

 the Guinea Pig. 



The Chinchilla In former times the Chinchilla is 

 Decreasing in said to have been as often found on 



Numbers. ^hg lower portions of mountains 

 down to the sea-coast as on the heights. The inces- 

 sant persecution to which it is subject on account of 

 the value of its fur has driven it upwards into moun- 

 tain fastnesses. Europeans occasionally kill it with 

 a gun or a cross-bow; but this kind of hunt is always 

 an affair of uncertain result, for if a Chinchilla is 

 not hit in a way which causes immediate death it 

 invariably slips into a crevice between the rocks 

 and is lost to the hunter. The Indians spi'ead well- 

 made nooses in front of all crevices and take the 

 Chinchillas which have been caught in them dur- 

 ing the night out the next morning. Besides this 

 they know perfectly well how to tame the Peruvian 

 Weasel and train it for a Chinchilla hunt; then they 

 proceed in the same manner as the European does 

 when hunting with Ferrets. 



The Smaller In northern and central Chile the 

 Chinchilla Smaller Chinchilla (Enomj/s lani- 

 Described. gerd) takes the place of the Commoa 

 Chinchilla. Its habits are much the pame as those 

 of the common species, and its form and coloring 

 are also similar to those of the other. It is much 

 smaller, however, for its total length amounts at the 

 most to fourteen or sixteen inches, one-third of 

 which is included in the tail. The fur is close and 

 of silky softness, the hair being less than an inch, 

 long on the back and rather more than an inch on 

 the sides. The coloring is a light ashy gray, mottled 

 with a dark hue. 



Of this species it was only after repeated efforts 

 on the part of naturalists that a few skulls, and later 

 some living specimens, were brought to Europe, 

 though it had been mentioned in accounts given by 

 travelers of a very early date. 



In 1829 a living Chinchilla of this variety arrived 

 in London and was described by Bennett. It was a 

 very gentle creature, thou.gh it occasionally tried ta 

 bite when annoyed or teased. It was rarely in a 

 playful mood and seldom performed its strange 

 antics. It usually sat on its haunches but could alsa 

 raise itself on its hind legs and retain this erect posi- 

 tion; it carried its food to the mouth with its fore- 

 paws. In winter it showed great susceptibility to 

 cold. 



The observations which I made as to the habits of 

 a captive Smaller Chinchilla tally with Bennett's 

 accounts in all material points. My pet was more of 

 a nocturnal animal, however. It was awake in the 

 daytime only when disturbed. This animal shuns 

 the light and always keeps in the darkest spots. 

 There it settles down with contracted body. Any 

 cranny offers it a place of refuge. Its voice is heard 

 only when some one touches it; then the animal 

 utters a sharp squeak like a Rabbit. It dislikes to 

 be handled and tries to effect its release by sudden 

 spasmodic jerks when taken up, but never resorts to- 

 biting. It prefers hay and grass to all other food^ 

 disdaining grains and scarcely touching juicy roots^ 

 The question, whether it drinks water at all, has not 

 been settled; it, however, seems as if it could en- 

 tirely abstain from drinking. 



Chinchilla's Flesh South Americans are fond of the 

 an Article of flesh of both varieties of Chinchillas, 

 Food. and European travelers also seem to 



have found it to their taste, though they say it can 

 not be compared in excellence to that of the Hare, 

 The flesh is only of secondary consideration from an 

 economic standpoint", however, the principal profit 

 of the chase arising from the value of the fur. 



Two Varieties of Two kinds of fur are distinguished 

 Chinchilla in commerce: that of the larger, 

 '^"'■- true Chinchillas, the hair of which is 



long and fine, and that of the smaller, short-haired 

 Chinchillas; the former brings from three and one- 

 half to six dollars apiece, the latter from twenty-five 

 cents up to one dollar and a quarter. About twenty 

 thousand of the former and two hundred tl^ousand 

 of the latter are sold annually. 



THE LAGOTIS. 



Considerably longer ears, a tail equaling the body 

 in length and bushy along its upper surface, four- 

 toed feet and very long whiskers distinguish the 

 Lagotis {Lagidium) from the Chinchillas proper. 

 The dentition is very similar in both species and 

 their mode of life is nearly identical. So far only 

 two varieties are definitely known, both living on 



