53 
The Alpaca. Lama Pacos. 
Black, or black and white, or brown varied ; forehead and cheeks with elongated hair ; body large ; 
sides with long, pendulous hair; legs short; belly and inside of legs nakedish. 
Camelus Pacos, Linn. — Lama Pacos, Lesson. — Auchenia AIpaca,Desm. — Auchenia Glama, var. QLlama^, Bennett, 
Gard. Zool. See. 283. fig. — Alpaque, Frezier, Voy. i. 267. — Pacos, Hernand. Mex. 663. — Paco, Laet, Amer. 
405. — Auchenia Lama v. domestica (Sundev. Pecora). — BufFon, H. N. xiii. 16. — Alpaca, F. Cuv. Mam. 
Lith. t. . — Auchenia Paco, Tschudi, Fauna Peru. 
Inhabits Peru, 
M. F. Cuvier, under this name, figures a paler brown, short-legged animal, probably a half-breed Llama, 
which was destitute of any tubercles on the chest, wrist and knee. I have never seen any specimens which 
exactly agreed with his figure, or wanting the tubercles. G. Fischer, from F. Cuvier, gives the want of these 
tubercles as the character of the species. 
The Earl of Derby sent me the following note on these animals : — 
" I shall be able, in about ten days, to send you some account of the breeding of the Llama tribe here. 
The sort of which we can tell you least is the Vicunha, which have never bred, having never obtained but 
one female and no male. As they are very docile and gentle, I doubt not we should have bred them could 
I have got both sexes, but I do not think they would cross with the others. I believe it is generally allowed 
that the Llama and Alpaca will breed together, and I know that the other two will, because my female Gua- 
naco, which, though put with her own male, never produced (I believe the fault was on his side), nor, as far as 
we knew, ever copulated, bred at once when put with a male Llama, and produced a female ; but that pro- 
duce has never bred as yet (she is only one year old), nor has the mother again. Indeed I did not think that 
it would be any object to continue the trial any further; but if you think otherwise, we can easily try it again. 
" I intend to try to produce the Tityrus Musimon, according to the quaint distich given in Griflith's 
translation of Cuvier (iv. 311), viz. : — 
' Tityrus ex ovibus oritur, hircoque parente : 
Musimonem Capra ex vervegno semine gignit — .' 
" Specimens of the four kinds of this tribe of animals, namely the Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco, and Vicuna, 
have for several years been kept in life at Knowsley ; but of the Vicuna, which is the rarest of the tribe, 
only one specimen existed here, which unfortunately came to an untimely end in 1844, thus breaking this 
complete series of these interesting quadrupeds. Of the four kinds the Alpaca is the most important, as 
bearing the wool now so extensively used for articles of dress ; on which account numerous attempts have 
been made to naturalize the species in Great Britain, which its reputed hardihood seemed to point out as 
an easy achievement, but which attempts have not hitherto been attended with much success. The length 
of the voyage, added to unskilful treatment, so much impairs the health of those that survive, that they 
seldom live for any length of time after their arrival ; otherwise they could, with judicious treatment, in all 
probability be naturalized, and after a few generations would, as in the case of some other exotics, become 
perfectly inured to our climate. 
" The four kinds are perfectly distinct, yet have such a general resemblance, that one kind may easily be 
mistaken for another : the distinctions however are very evident to a practised eye, and are as follows : — 
" The Guanaco approaches the Llama very nearly, both in its size and in the texture of its wool, but is 
a much stronger and more vigorous animal. It is clean and well-made, light and active, and always of a 
light buff or fawn colour on the upper surfiice, and white beneath and on the inner side of the limbs; the 
face is greyish black. There is less wool on the head, neck and upper part of the limbs, and that on the 
body is shorter and more sparingly furnished than in the Llama, and is mixed with coarse hair of greater 
length than the wool. The male is vicious, active, watchful and restless, and nearly or quite untameable ; 
this is the invariable character of the species. In confinement it is constantly trying to seize any person 
that approaches it ; it endeavours to throw down its opponent by springing against him with all its force, 
and then bites viciously. The spirit of the adult animal is such, that it will never allow itself to be conquered 
otherwise than by sheer strength. The female, though milder and of more quiet habits, is of a fiery dispo- 
sition, and ready to avenge any affront. 
" The Vicuna is the smallest of the four kinds, measuring 2 feet 10 inches high at the withers. The neck 
is long, the ears moderately so. The wool is shortest on the neck and limbs ; on the body it is 3 inches in 
