41 



Guinea, being really from Guiana, and true rodents. Twen- 

 ty-eight species are known, all native to South America. 

 This family is notable for having the largest species. The 

 PACAS and Capybara (Hydroc/ueras) are much the lar- 

 gest. The latter is about the size of a half-grown pig. 

 Some resemblance has given rise to the term water hog. 

 They are all South American forms. 



GROUP -1-3. — Family Logomyidce. The L.OGOMYS or 

 PlKA is a small rabbit-like animal. The one species in- 

 habiting North America, near Oregon River, much re- 

 sembles a young rabbit, and hence has received the trivial 

 name Little Chief Hare {Lagomys princeps). 



GROUP 44.— The Rabbits, Family Leporida, One 

 genus with forty species comprise the family. Rabbits in- 

 habit the colder regions of both continents. One species, 

 the POLAR Hare, extends to the Arctic regions. Several 

 fine hares are found on the plains, and near the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



The Jackass Hare {Lepus callotis) is a large, long- 

 eared animal, abundant on the great western plains. 



THE BATS. — Order Chiroptera. 



GROUP 45. — The Bats form one of the great orders of 

 the animal kingdom, being sufficiently distinct in character- 

 istics to be readily recognized. Until lately these w ere 

 regarded as being entitled to a high rank, and were classed 

 next to the Primates or Monkeys. They have a large 

 brain, and in several respects have features that seemed to 

 warrant the old classification. Late investigations find the 

 sum of characteristics correspond more nearly to the 

 rodents on one side and the insectivora and cetacea on the 

 other. A large variety of these singular animals are here. 



The Fruit-Eating Bats [Pteropus) are more notable 

 from their extreme size. Some measuring three feet in ex- 

 tent of wing. The so-called FLYING FOXES are large bats. 

 They are native in the East Indies. Four hundred species, 



