THE LONG-NOSED AGOUTI. 
295 
on the shoulders and haunches. The legs and feet are 
nearly black, and the claws of a dusky gray. The hair 
on the face and legs is extremely short ; but it increases 
in length as it approaches the crupper, where it mea- 
sures three or four inches, and has much of the rigidity 
of a hog's bristles. It is, however, perfectly smooth, 
and lies flat upon the surface of the body. The ears are 
short, rounded at their tips, naked, and rather flaccid ; 
the line of profile is strongly curved, but not elevated 
so -as to form a crest ; the upper lip is deeply divided ; 
and the lower jaw almost devoid of hair. The hinder 
limbs are considerably longer than the fore ; but, as in 
the Pacas, they are brought nearly to an equality by 
the application in the former of a lengthened portion of 
the sole to the surface of the ground. 
The Long-nosed Agouti is said formerly to have 
inhabited most of the West India Islands, but is now 
almost confined to St. Lucia. It is still, however, 
extremely abundant in Brazil and Guiana, and extends 
southward into Paraguay, where it was observed by 
D'Azara. According to the testimony of Laborde and 
Sonnini, it is the most common quadruped in Guiana, 
and forms one of the most usual articles of food both to 
the colonists and natives. To use the words of the 
former, " All the woods are full of it, whether upon 
the hills, on the plains, or in the marshes." It is said 
rarely to burrow in the earth, preferring for its habita- 
tion the hollow trunks of trees or such retreats as 
require but little exertion to fit them for its use. In 
running it is extremely swift, taking long leaps like 
those of the hare, which it also resembles in its timidity 
and in the fineness of its ear. Its food consists princi- 
pally of roots and fruits ; and of the latter those of 
several species of palms appear to be its particular 
favourites ; but it is by no means fastidious in its diet, 
