218 MAMMALIA. " CLIRES. Cavy. 



a pig. Raj. quad. 226. — Cuniculus vulgatiffimus, or Commoneft Rabbit, called Aguti. Barrere, 

 Fr. equin. 153. — Aguti, Acuti, or Agoutis. Marcgr. Braf. 224. Pifo, Braf. 102. Jonft. quad. 

 t. 63. De Laet, 484. Rochefort, Antill. i. 287.— Long-nofed Rabbit. Wafer, in Dampier's voy. 

 iii. 401. — Long-nofed Cavy. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 236. — Agouti. Sm. Buff. v. 58. pi. cvi. 



Inhabits Brafil, Guiana, Cayenne, and other parts of South America, and in the Weft Indian 

 iflands. — This animal is about the fize of a Rabbit. 



447 jS. Larger Agouti. — 3. /3. C. Aguti leporina. 



Has a very fhort tail ; the upper parts of the body are reddifh, and the under parts 



white. Erxleb. mam. 355. 



Mus leporinus, or Hare-like Moufe, with a fhort tail ; having four toes on the fore, and three' 

 on the hind, legs; the belly white. Syft. nat. ed. xii. i. So. n. 3. — Cuniculus javenfis, or Javan 

 Coney, having external ears, and a fhort tail; of a reddifh colour mixed v/ith dark brown. BrifT. 

 quad. 142. — Java Hare. Catefby, Carol, app. t. 18. — Javan Cavy. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 238. 



Inhabits Surinam and the hotter parts of South America. — This variety is as large as a Hare. 



\ 



AA.S y- American Agouti. — 3. y, C. Aguti americana. 



Has a very fhort tail, and is clothed with coarfe reddifh fur. 



Cuniculus americanus, or American Coney, having external ears and a fhort tail, covered with 

 coarfe reddifh hair. BrifT. quad. 144. Seba, Muf. i. 67. t. 41. f. 2. 



Thefe three varieties inhabit South America and the Weft India iflands. — They dwell in hollow 

 trees, or burrow in the ground ; they fearch far their food, which is entirely vegetable, during the 

 day, and carry it home with them to their dwellings ; when feeding they fit up on their hind legs, 

 and carry their food with the fore paws to the mouth ; their pace confifts of leaps ; they grow very 

 fat, and are very good eating, their flefh being white and favoury like that of a Rabbit ; they breed 

 frequently in the fame year, the female bringing three, four, or five young ones at a birth. The toes 

 are connected at the root by a fhort membrane, being what is called Sub-palmated'; the tail is very 

 fhort, almoft naked, and of a conical form. 



The firft variety, of which the diftinguifhing defcription is given in the character of the fpecies, is 

 about the fize of a Rabbit ; the nofe is long, with a divided upper lip ; fhort, broad, rounded, ears ; 

 and black eyes ; the legs are flender, almoft naked, and of a black colour. The fecond variety has a 

 fmall flender head, with prominent, naked, ears, which are rounded at the extremity. In the firft, 

 the belly is of a yellow colour, and, in the fecond, it is white ; in- both, the hinder parts are larger 

 than the fore, and the legs are long. The third variety, which is here admitted on the authority of 

 Gmelin, and the authors he has quoted, is either very little known, or is the fame with the firft va- 

 riety. They all grunt like pigs, are very voracious, and, when fat, their flefh is white, like that of a 

 Rabbit, but dry. What food they cannot immediately confume they hoard in their retreats, and eat 

 at their leifure. Their pace is hopping, like that of a Hare or Rabbit ; they beat the ground, like 

 them, with their feet, when angry; and take.fhelter, when purfued, in their holes, or in hollow trees. 



