vn THE niZCACHA 131 



Rio Negro, in lat. 41°, but not beyond. It cannot, like the 

 agouti, subsist on the gravelly and desert plains of Patagonia, 

 but prefers a clayey or sandy soil, which produces a different 

 and more abundant vegetation. Near Mendoza, at the foot 

 of the Cordillera, it occurs in close neighbourhood with the 

 allied alpine species. It is a very curious circumstance in its 

 geographical distribution, that it has never been seen, fortunately 

 for the inhabitants of Banda Oriental, to the eastward of the 

 river Uruguay : yet in this province there are plains which 

 appear admirably adapted to its habits. The Uruguay has 

 formed an insuperable obstacle to its migration ; although the 

 broader barrier of the Parana has been passed, and the bizcacha 

 is common in Entre Rios, the province between these two 

 great rivers. Near Buenos Ayres these animals are exceedingly 

 common. Their most favourite resort appears to be those 

 parts of the plain which during one half of the year are 

 covered with giant thistles, to the exclusion of other plants. 

 The Gauchos affirm that it lives on roots ; which, from the great 

 strength of its gnawing teeth, and the kind of places frequented 

 by it, seems probable. In the evening the bizcachas come 

 out in numbers, and quietly sit at the mouths of their burrows 

 on their haunches. At such times they are very tame, and a 

 man on horseback passing by seems only to present an object 

 for their grave contemplation. They run very awkwardly, 

 and when running out of danger, from their elevated tails 

 and short front legs, much resemble great rats. Their flesh, 

 when cooked, is very white and good, but it is seldom used. 



The bizcacha has one very singular habit ; namely, dragging 

 every hard object to the mouth of its burrow : around each 

 group of holes many bones of cattle, stones, thistle-stalks, hard 

 lumps of earth, dry dung, etc., are collected into an irregular 

 heap, which frequently amounts to as much as a wheelbarrow 

 would contain. I was credibly informed that a gentleman, 

 when riding on a dark night, dropped his watch ; he returned 

 in the morning, and by searching the neighbourhood of every 

 bizcacha hole on the line of road, as he expected, he soon 

 found it. This habit of picking up whatever may be lying on 

 the ground anywhere near its habitation must cost much 

 trouble. For what purpose it is done, I am quite unable to 

 form even the most remote conjecture : it cannot be for 



