217 



ahd covered with long coarse hair. The viscacha 

 breeds in the same manner as the rabbit. It lives 

 under ground, in a burrow consisting of two stories, 

 which communicate by means of a winding stair- 

 way ; the first story serves for a magazine for its 

 provisions, the other for a place of residence for it- 

 sélf and its young. In this it remains during thé 

 day, ànd only goes out at night, when it brings tó 

 its hole whatever it meets with, even such articles of 

 Wéàring apparel as have been dropped by travellers, 

 its fiesh iá very white and tender, and is preferred to 

 that of the hare or the rabbit. 



Of the horny-footed animals, or thosé that have 

 hoofs, whether single or divided. Chili furnishes but 

 live species that are indigenous. The puda, the vL 

 engría^ the chilihueqiie, the guanaco^ and the guêrfml 

 tíf hüéfñuL 



The puda (capra puda) is a species of wild goat, 

 with brown hair, of the size of a six months kid ; 

 the male is furnished with very small horns, but 

 thé female is destitute. The Spaniards call it 

 the foe- buck, but very improperly, as it has no re- 

 semblance to that animal, but every characteristic of 

 the goat except the beard, and m having its horns 

 round, smooth and diverging. On the approach of 

 Winter, these animals, in very numerous flocks. Come 

 dóví^n from the Andes, in order to feed in the plains 

 of the southern provinces. Great numbers are then 

 killed b}^ the inhabitants for food, and caught for 

 the pürpoáe of domesticating them, which is easily 

 dône, as this animal is extremely mild, and is much 

 delighted in playing with children. 



