212 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



Bolivia, where they live in barren stony places, running up and 

 down high rocks, however steep, with the greatest: agility. ' They are 

 social, and live in burrows, to which they; retire on. the slightest 

 alarm, so that the hunters i are obliged to : avail themselves of the 

 services of tame Peruvian Weasels "to dislodge them, much as we do 

 with Ferrets in. the case of Rabbits; the South 'American Weasel, 

 however, appears to be sufficiently accommodating to retrieve the Chin- 

 chilla it has killed. Living) in a wild state /ion herbage, .roots,. and 

 moss, the Chinchilla is easy to keep in captivity,, and makes a charm- 

 ing little pet, though not remarkable for intelligence. .', It ' has often 

 bred in the -London Zoological' Gardens; the young- appear .: to, be" few 

 in number, and to be born, in a precocious condition, like: young 

 Hares rather than x \Rabbits;i So. useful and, charming a little, animal 

 ought certainly to be domesticated, if only as a fur-producer, , as . it 

 gives no more trouble to keep than a Rabbit. In Peru there is 

 a slightly different species of Chinchilla, the Short-tailed (C. brevv- 

 caudatd). '"- f) 



THE LONG-TAILED CHINCHILLA 



\Lagidium cuvieri) 



With a general resemblance to the Common! Chinchilla, this species 

 differs by its smaller ears, and long well-clad tail, as 1 .well as by having 

 only four toes on the fore-feet. It is also a much larger animal, "being 

 as big as a good-sizedi Rabbit,' and its fur, which cannot be compared 

 in quality with that 1 of the true Chinchilla, is not of . so pure a grey. 

 It inhabits the same districts as 'that animal,' and has much the same 

 habits ; it is -rarely seen in captivity. r ' ^-,, : % •* 



