856 THE HUANUCU THE VICUNA. 



lustre. In the domestic breeds the wool falls in large flakes 

 reaching down to the knees. This wool was employed by the 

 ancient Peruvians for weaving a kind of cloth. It approxi- 

 mates in character to silk, and a large quantity is now ex- 

 ported to Europe for the manufacture of shawls and other 

 delicate fabrics. Immense herds of the llama or alpaca were 

 held by the Peruvian government, and placed under the pro- 

 tection of herdsmen, who conducted them from one quarter of 

 the country to another, according to the season. They were 

 exclusively the property of the Incas ; as were the vicunas, 

 which roam in native freedom over the frozen ranges of the 

 Cordilleras. 



THE HUANUCU. 



The huanucu is considerably larger than the llama, which it 

 so much resembles, that it was formerly considered to be the 

 same animal in a wild state. The body is brown, with the 

 under parts white ; the face is of a blackish-gray, approach- 

 ing to white about the lips. The fleece is shorter and not so 

 line as that of the llama. The huanucus are very shy, and 

 only when caught young can they be tamed — and even then 

 they can rarely be induced to carry burdens. They generally 

 live in small troops of from five to seven. Not unfrequently 

 they may be seen scaling the snow-covered peaks to a height 

 which no other living thing save the condor can reach. They 

 find sustenance in the ychu, a species of grass which grows all 

 along the great ridge of the Cordilleras, from the equator to 

 the southern limits of Patagonia. 



THE VICUNA. 



The vicunas are very beautiful and graceful creatures, with 

 the habits of antelopes. They have long, slender necks and 



