728 THE RHEA. 



THE TUCUTUCO (CTENOMYS BRAZILIENSIS). 



The tucutuco — another small rodent, with burrowing habits 

 something like those of a mole — grains its name from the 

 short nasal groan which it repeats about four times in quick 

 succession. It is very abundant, and may be heard at alii 

 times of the day uttering its strange sounds directly beneath 

 the feet in its burrow. It throws up little hillocks of earth 

 like those of a mole at the mouth of its abode. So completely 

 are tracks of country undermined by these animals, that horses 

 in passing over sink above their fetlocks. 



They are gregarious and nocturnal in their habits. Their 

 chief food consists of the roots of plants, to obtain which they 

 make their extensive and superficial burrows. From the for- 

 mation of their hind-legs, they are unable to jump even the 

 smallest vertical height. 



It is a curious circumstance connected with them, that 

 large numbers become blind, — though apparently the animal 

 suffers but little inconvenience in consequence, as it exists 

 almost entirely beneath the surface of the ground. 



THE RHEA. 



Across the wide Pampas, from the plains of La Plata to the 

 south of Patagonia, the large rhea, vying almost in size with 

 the African ostrich, stalks along, generally in pairs, but some- 

 times in large flocks of thirty or more. It differs from the 

 real ostrich, — having three toes instead of two, is smaller, and 

 of a uniform gray colour, except on the back, which has a 

 brown tint. Like the ostrich, the back and rump are fur- 

 nished with long feathers, but of a less rich description than 

 the former species. 



