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of it all the fragments of the roots which it has eaten. 

 The female breeds twice a year, in the spring and in 

 the autumn, and has six young at a litter. In the 

 winter the male and female, with the young of the 

 last breed, inhabit the same burrow, those of the 

 first being old enough to provide for themselves. 

 The provisions laid up in their magazines are more 

 than sufficient for the subsistence of this little family, 

 as every spring a number of the old roots are found 

 at the mouths of their holes, which have been brought 

 out to make room for new. The country people are 

 very fond of these roots, and eagerly search for the 

 burrows, which they plundi^r and destroy without 

 regard to the fate of their innocent inhabitants. 



The chinchilla (mus laniger) is another species of 

 ground-mouse or rat. Instead of hair it is covered 

 with an extremely fine and soft ash-coloured wool, 

 of a sufficient length for spinning. This ani- 

 mal is about six inches long ; it has very small 

 ears, a short nose, teeth like those of the common 

 mouse, and a tail of a moderate length covered with 

 silky hair. It lives in the fields under ground in 

 large companies, and is principally found in the 

 southern provinces ; its usual food is the bulbous 

 roots with which that part of the country abounds. 

 The female breeds twice a year, and has five or six 

 young at each birth. It is an extremely gentle and 

 mild animal, and may be handled without the least 

 danger of its biting, nor will it attempt to escape, 

 but on the contrary appears to be pleased with being 

 caressed. It is very neat, has no offensive smell, 

 and may be kept with very little inconvenience 



