THE CHINCHILLA. 
7 
which furnishes some particulars, apparently derived 
from the traveller's own observation, that had not been 
touched upon by previous writers. ''The Chinchilla," 
he says, " is a woolly field-mouse, which lives under- 
ground, and chiefly feeds on wild onions. Its fine fur 
is well known in Europe ; that which comes from 
Upper Peru is rougher and larger than the Chinchilla 
of Chile, but not always so beautiful in its colour. 
Great numbers of these animals are caught in the 
neighbourhood of Coquimbo and Copiapo, generally by 
boys with dogs, and sold to traders who bring them 
to Santiago and Valparayso, from whence they are 
exported. The Peruvian skins are either brought to 
Buenos-Ayres from the eastern parts of the Andes, or 
sent to Lima. The extensive use of this fur has lately 
occasioned a very considerable destruction of the ani- 
mals." 
Such is the history of our knowledge of this interest- 
ing animal until the arrival of a living specimen which 
was brought to England by the late expedition to the 
north-west coast of America, under the command of 
Captain Beechey, and by him presented to the Zoolo- 
gical Society. An entire skin, rendered particularly 
valuable in consequence of its having the skull pre- 
served in it, was at the same time brought home by 
Mr. Collie, the surgeon of Captain Beechey's vessel, 
and deposited in the collection of the British Museum, 
We have thus fortunately placed within our reach the 
means of correcting many of the errors into which 
former writers have fallen with regard to it, and of 
giving a more complete description of it than has yet 
been laid before the world. 
To begin with its generic characters. The slightest 
inspection of its teeth was sufficient to prove that it 
could no longer be associated with the groups in which 
