Dec. 1833. 



GUANACO. 



195 



I will here give an account of this latter animal^ which 

 is very common, and is the characteristic quadruped of 

 the plains of Patagonia. The Guanaco, which by some 

 naturalists is considered as the same animal with the Llama, 

 but in its wild state, is the South American representative of 

 the camel of the East. In size it may be compared to 

 an ass, mounted on taller legs, and with a very long neck. 

 The guanaco abounds over the w^hole of the temperate parts 

 of South America, from the wooded islands of Tierra del 

 Fuego, through Patagonia, the hilly parts of La Plata, Chile, 

 even to the Cordillera of Peru. Although preferring an ele- 

 vated site, it yields in this respect to its near relative the 

 Vicuna. On the plains of Southern Patagonia, we saw them 

 in greater numbers than in any other part. Generally they 

 go in small herds, from half a dozen to thirty together ; but 

 on the banks of the St Cruz we saw one herd which must 

 have contained at least five hundred. On the northern shores 

 of the Strait of Magellan they are also very numerous. 



Generally the guanacoes are wild and extremely wary. 

 Mr. Stokes told me, that he one day saw through a glass a 

 herd of these beasts, which evidently had been frightened, 

 running away at full speed, although their distance was so 

 great that they could not be distinguished by the naked eye. 

 The sportsman frequently receives the first intimation of 

 their presence, by hearing, from a long distance, the peculiar 

 shrill neighing note of alarm. If he then looks attentively, 

 he will perhaps see the herd standing in a line on the side of 

 some distant hill. On approaching them, a few more squeals 

 are given, and then off they set at an apparently slow, but really 

 quick canter, along some narrow beaten track to a neigh- 

 bouring hill. If, however, by chance he should abruptly 

 meet a single animal, or several together, they will generally 

 stand motionless, and intently gaze at him ; then perhaps 

 move on a few yards, turn round, and look again. What is 

 the cause of this difference in their shiness ? Do they mis- 

 take a man in the distance for their chief enemy the puma ? 

 Or does curiosity overcome their timidity ? That they are 

 curious is certain ; for if a person lies on the ground, and 



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