588 MANUAI- OF ZOOLOGY. 



which have only four toes. The two orbits communicate by 

 an aperture in the septum. Generally there is a short erect 

 tail. 



Xhe common Hare (Lepus timidus) is dispersed over the 

 whole of Europe, but is not met with in Sweden and Norway, 

 its place there being taken by the Mountain-hare (white in 

 winter), which occurs commonly in Scotland. As a rule, the 

 Hares occur in temperate regions, but some are found in 

 Africa, and one species (Lepus glacialis) is a native of the Arctic 

 regions, whilst the common American Hare (L. Americanus) 

 extends from Canada to Mexico. The Rabbit is also* native 

 of temperate regions, but appears to thrive, to a more than 

 a/erage extent, in Australia. 



In the Calling Hares or Pikas (Lagomys), the legs do not 

 .liffer much in size, there is no visible tail, and the clavicles 

 ;ire nearly complete. They are found in Russia, Siberia, and 

 North America. 



Fain. 2. Cavidm. — As examples of this family may be taken 

 the Capybara (Hydrocharus capybara) and the Guinea-pig 

 ■{Cavia apermd). In this family tlie body is covered with hair, 

 without spines, and the tail is rudimentary. The Capybara i^ 

 the largest of living Rodents, attaining a length of three or 

 four feet. It is a South American form, leading a semi-aquatic 

 life, to which end the feet are incompletely webbed. It is a 

 harmless stupid animal, and is not unlike a small pig in appear- 

 ance. The Cavia apema is likewise a South American animal, 

 and is believed to be the pSirent stock of the Guinea-pigs so 

 often kept as domestic pets in Europe. To the same group 

 as the Capybara belong the Agoutis (JDasyproctd) and the Pacas 

 {Ccelogenys), all of which have eight rootless molars in each 

 jaw, whilst the two former have four toes to the fore-feet, and 

 three toes on the hind-feet. The various species of Agouti are 

 found in South America and the West Indies, whilst the Pacas 

 are exclusively South American. In this family, also, are usu- 

 ally placed the Chinchillas ( Chinchilla) of Chili and Peru. 



Fam. 3. HystricidcB. — In this family are the well-known Por- 

 cupines, distinguished from the other Rodents by the fact that 

 the body is covered with long spines or " quills," mixed with 

 bristly hairs. They have four molars on each side of each jaw, 

 and they possess imperfect clavicles. 



The true Porcupines {Hystrix) have non-prehensile tails, 

 which are mostly furnished with long hollow spines, but some- 

 times with sQales and bristles. They are found in both the 

 Old and New World, but the American species differ in several 

 respects from those of the eastern hemisphere. They are mostly 



