VARIEGATED CAVY. 



very numerous offspring at a birth'^\ The young- 

 very soon acquire the necessary degree of strength 

 and perfection of their species, though they con- 

 tinue to grow till seven or eight months. They, 

 therefore, require but for a short time the atten- 

 tion of the parent, and even in the space of twelve 

 hours can run about with as much agiUty as the 

 full-grown animals. Since the female is furnished 

 with only two teats, and yet produces a numerous 

 offspring, it might at first appear as if Nature 

 had but ill provided or proportioned the power of 

 nourishment for the young ; this, however^ is by 

 no means the case, since the young, in a few 

 hours after birth, are capable of eating various 

 vegetable substances, and consequently require 

 but very little assistance on the part of the mo- 

 ther. In their native regions of South iVmerica 

 they are chiefly found in Brasil. They willingly 

 feed on a great variety of vegetable substances, 

 and may be successfully reared on parsley, cab- 

 bage, sowthistles, &c. and if permitted to range 

 in a garden, will readily support themselves, with- 

 out any assistance. In winter they may be fed 

 with bread, carrots, grain of various kinds, &c. 

 They drink but very little, and, after eating, ex- 

 hibit the appearance of rumination, in the same 



* From four to ten or twelve. According to the Count de Buf- 

 fon, a single pair might produce looo in one year^ since they pro- 

 duce at least every two months ; go with young only three weeks 3 

 and have been known to bring forth young when only two months 

 old. 



