MAMMALIA. GL1RES. Beaver. 221 



vii. 64. pi. cciv.— Thick-nofed Tapir. Perm. Syn. 83. n. 61.— Cavy Capibara. Penn. hift. of quad. 

 n. 231. 



Inhabits the eaftern fide of South America, from the Ifthmus of Darien to Brafil and Paraguay. — 

 Lives in fenny woods near the large rivers, fuch as the Amazons, Oronoque, and Plata ; fwims 

 and dives remarkably well, and keeps for a long time under water ; catches fifli at night with great 

 dexterity, and brings them on ihore to eat them, which it does fitting on its hind legs, and hold- 

 ing its food in the fore paws like an ape ; it likewife feeds on fruits and vegetables, efpecially the fit- 

 gat cane, feeding only in the night, and does vaft mifchief in gardens : The Capibara keeps together 

 in large herds, making a great noife, like the braying of affes ; grows very fat, and the flefli is eaten, 

 beincr tender, but has an oily and fiihy flavour: It is monogamous, that is, in breeding feafon, one 

 male and one female live together, and the female only produces a fingle young one at a birth : It is 

 eafily rendered tame, and becomes very familiar. This animal is rather more than two feet and a 

 half Ion? when full grown; the head and nofe are very large and thick, having fmall, erect, round- 

 ed, naked ears, and large black eyes •, the upper jaw is much longer than the under, with black, 

 roundifh noftrils, a divided upper lip, and the nofe is garnilhed with numerous black whifkers ; in 

 each jaw are two large ftrong fore-teeth, and eight grinders, which have the appearance of three 

 fmall flat pointed teeth on the furface of each -, the legs are fhort, having the toes connected by a 

 webb, and their extremities are guarded with a kind of hoofs inftead of claws •, the neck is fhort and 

 thick ; the - hair is fhort, rough, and harfh, like briftles, being longeft on the back, and moft of thenv 

 sre yellowiih in the middle and black at both ends. 



XXV. BEAVE R.~ 24. CAS TO R. 23. 



Has two very ftrong cutting teeth in each jaw ; and four 

 grinders on each fide in both jaws. The tail is long, flat- 

 tened, and fcaly. The fkeleton has perfecl; clavicles, or col- 

 lar bones. All the feet have five toes. 



1. Common Beaver.— 1. Cajior Fiber, r. 



The tail is broad, flat, almofl: oval, has no hair, and is covered with fcales.. Muf. ad, 

 Fr. i. 9. Schreber, iv. 623. t. clxxv. 



Caftor caftaneus,. or Chcfnut Beaver, with a flattened tail. BrifC quad. 133. Gefn. quad. 309, 

 D ? . aquat. 185. Rondel, aquat. 236, Aklrov. dig. 276. Jonft. quad. 147. t. 68. Raj. quad. 209. — 

 Kaa-rv^. Arift. hift. an. viii. c. 5. Oppian, i. 398. — Fiber. Plin. viii. c. 30. Agric. an. fubt. 482. 



Belon. aquat. 25.— Bobr. Rzaczinfki, Polon. 215. — Biber. Klein, quad. 91. Kramer, auftr. 325 



Bafwer, Biur. Faun. Suec. n. 27. — Caftor, Bievre, or Beaver. Sir... Buff, v. zi. pi. cii.— Caftor 

 Beaver. Penn, hift. of quad. n. 251. Arft. zool. n. 40. 



