ZOOLOGY. 



THE VICUNA. 



Camelus Pacos> Linnaeus. La Vigogne, Buffon. 



THE Pacos or Vicuna of South America, is one of 

 those animals which was formerly used by the Indians as a 

 beast of burden, as well as the Lama, which is a larger 

 creature of a similar nature, both of them having a distant 

 resemblance to the Camel. Its body is covered with very 

 fine long wool which is much valued ; its colour that of 

 dried roses or a dull purple; the body and feet white: they 

 live in vast herds, and inhabit the most elevated parts of the 

 highest mountains of Peru, where they endure the utmost 

 rigour of frost and snow. 



One of these animals has lately arrived in London, and 

 exhibits a curious and elegant example of this tribe of 

 quadrupeds. It is lively and elegant in its form, and seems 

 to constitute a species between the Antelope and the Camel, 

 and to fill up the space which Nature has placed between 

 these two animals, a considerable degree of confusion and 

 difficulty has arisen with respect to the distinctions which 

 separate this species from the Lama and the Acalpa, both 

 of Peru. The figures having been generally very imper- 

 fect, in order therefore to acquire a greater accuracy in this 

 instance, we have procured an exact drawing made from 

 the live animal ; and such an opportunity is not likely often 

 to recur. 



Two Lamas, the one male, the other female, have been 

 procured for the French Menagerie of Bonaparte, and it 

 is said they have preserved their health exceedingly well, 

 having been previously seasoned in the warmer climate of 

 Barbadoes; of these an engraving has been published, 

 which differs very materially from the delineation of Buffon, 



