XV SOCIAL HABITS OF THE VIZCACHA 497 



The Vizcacha lives in societies of twenty to thirty members/ 

 in a " village " (" Vizcachera "), a dozen or so of burrows, which 

 intercommunicate. They lie at home during the day and come 

 out in the evening. Their burrows, like those of the Prairie 

 ]\Iavmot, harbour other creatures, which apparently live on ami- 

 cable terms with the Yizcachas ; such are the burrowing owl, a 

 small swallow, and a Geositta. The Fox also affects these burrows, 

 but then he ejects the rightful owner of the particular burrow 



Fig. 243. — Vizcacha. Lnijnstomv.s trichochtcti/his. X ^. 



which he selects. AMieu the young Foxes are born the vixen 

 hunts the Vizcachas for food. The Vizcacha has a most varied 

 voice, producing " guttural, sighing, shrill, and deep tones," and 

 Mr. Hudson doubts if there is " any other four-footed beast so 

 loquacious or with a dialect so extensive." These animals are 

 very friendly, and pay visits from village to village ; they will 

 attempt to rescue their friends if attacked by a Weasel or a 

 Peccary, and to disinter those covered up in their burrows 

 by man. 



Fam. 7. Cercolabidae. — A number of the characters which 

 differentiate this family from the Hystricidae or Ground Por- 

 cupines of the Old World are given under the description of the 

 latter. The principal external characters are the prehensile tail, 

 the admixture of spines with hairs, and the nature of the sole of 

 the foot. In these points the New-World Cercolabidae differ 

 from the Old-World Hystricidae. It is interesting to notice that 



1 Hudson, " On the Habits of the Vizcacha," Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 822. 

 VOL. X ^ ^ 



