202 



ííiree young at a litter, and the period of gestation, 

 W I am not misinformed, is about five months. 



The coî/pu (muscoypu) is a species of water rat, 

 of the size of the otter, which it resembles in its hair 

 and external appearance. It has round ears, and a 

 long nose covered with whiskers ; the feet are short, 

 the tail large and of a moderate length well covered 

 with hair, and in each jaw are two very sharp incisors. 

 The feet have each five toes, those of the fore feet 

 are unconnected by a membrane, but those of the 

 hind arc palmated. Though the conformation of 

 this animal evinces that it is intended as an inhabitant 

 of the water, it nevertheless lives very well upon the 

 land, and even in houses, where it is easily tamed, 

 and soon becomes reconciled to a domestic state. 

 It eats any thing that is given it, and appears to be 

 susceptible of much attachment to the person who 

 feeds it. Its cry is a sharp shriek, but it never ut« 

 ters it except when hurt. With a little patience and 

 care, it might be rendered still more useful than die 

 otter for the purpose of taking fish. The female 

 has five or six young at a birth, by whom slie is al- 

 ways accompanied. 



Of the cloven footed terrestrial quadrupeds of 

 Chili, some are gramenivorous, or such as feed upon 

 vegetables, and others carnivorous ; of the latter are 

 the chinghue, the cuja, the quiqui, the porcupine y the 

 eulpeu, the guigna, the colocólo, and the pagL 



The chinghue (viverra chinga) is qf the size of a 

 cat ; its colour is black inclining to blue, except 

 upon the back, which is marked with a broad stripe, 

 composed of round white spots, extending from the 



