CAPYBARA. 



claws ; that on the fifth toe being veiy small : 

 the tail is scarce visible^ being a mere small coni- 

 cal projection of scarce half an inch in length. 

 The Spotted Cavy is a nocturnal animal^ residing 

 in a solitary manner in his hole during almost the 

 whole day. In a domestic state it readily feeds 

 on almost any kind of vegetable diet^ and is par- 

 ticularly fond of sugar and fruits. It is much 

 esteemed as an article of food by the South Ame- 

 ricans. It is subject to some variety in point of 

 colour, and has been sometimes seen quite white. 

 Its general length, when full-grown, is about two 

 feet. The female is said to produce but one 

 young at a births 



CAPYBARA. 



Cavia Capybara. C. ecaudata^ plantis tridactylis palmatis. Lin, 



Sysf, Nat. Gmel. p. 1 23 . 

 Tailless Cavy, with tridactyle palmated hind-feet. 

 Sus Hydfochaeris. S. plantis tridactylis, cauda milla, Lin, Systo 



Nat. p. 103. 

 Cabiai. Biiff'. 12. p. 384. pi. 4^. 

 Thick-nosed Tapir. Femiant Synops. p. 83. 

 Capybara. Pemiant Quadr, i.p. 88. 



The characters of this animal are somewhat 

 ambiguous, and it was formerly considered by 

 Linnaeus as a species of Hog, and was accordingly 

 placed in that genus in the l^th edition of the 

 Systema Naturae, under the name of Sus Hydro- 

 chcerls. Mr. Pennant, in his Synopsis of Quadru- 



