12 
ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
table. Its food consisted principally of dry herbage, 
such as hay and clover, on which it appears to have 
thriven greatly. That of the Society's original specimen 
has hitherto been chiefly grain of various kinds, and 
succulent roots. 
When the new comer was first introduced into Bruton 
Street, it was placed in the same cage with the other 
specimen ; but the latter appeared by no means dis- 
posed to submit to the presence of the intruder. A 
ferocious kind of scuffling fight immediately ensued 
between them, and the latter would unquestionably 
have fallen a victim, had it not been rescued from its 
impending fate. Since that time they have inhabited 
separate cages, placed side by side ; and although the 
open wires would admit of some little familiarity taking 
place between them, no advances have as yet been 
made on either side. Such an isolated fact can, of 
course, have little weight in opposition to the testimony 
of Molina that the Chinchilla is fond of company. It 
is nevertheless a remarkable circumstance, and de- 
serves to be mentioned in illustration of the habits of 
these animals. 
