G U I 
drives the female before him, never moving a-breafl: 
together; but the one feems invariably to tread in 
the footfteps of the other. They ihew a predi- 
lection for the darkeft receffes and moft intricate 
retreats; where, if they are furniflied with a bed of 
hay, they continue to fleep together, and feldom 
venture out but when they fuppofe themfelves free 
froin annoyance. When they quit their retreat, 
they fpring fwiftly forwards, ftop at the entrance, 
liften, look round, and if they perceive the flighteft 
fymptom of danger, they run back with precipi- 
tation. However, in very cold weather, they ap- 
pear more aftive; which is probably occafioned 
by the uneafy fenfations they feel from the feverity 
of the air. 
The Guinea-Pig is a very cleanly creature, and 
totally different from that which affords it a name. 
If the young ones happen to be foiled in the dirt, 
or any way difcompofed, the female contracfls fuch 
an averfion to them, that Ihe never permits them 
to vifit her more: indeed, her fole employment, 
as well as that of the male, feems to confift in 
fmoothing the fkin, difpofing the hair, and im- 
proving it's glofs. The male and female affume 
this office by turns; and, when they have brufhed 
up each other, they then turn their attention to 
their young, taking particular care to make their 
hair lie fiiiooth, and biting them if they appear 
refra£lory. 
As thefe creatures are fo folicitous about adorn- 
ing themfelves, their habitations fliould be regu- 
larly ci'^aned, and beds of frefli hay provided for 
them weekly. Being originally fprung from a 
warm climate, they are naturally chilly in this: 
clesnlinefs, therefore, is favourable to warmth, and 
helps to expel moifture. With moderate care, 
they may be reared without the aid of artificial 
heat; but, in general, it is impoflible to keep them 
from the fire in winter, if they have once been 
permitted to feel the benefit of it. 
Guinea-Pigs repofe flat on their bellies, pretty 
much in their ufual pofture, except that they love 
to have their fore-feet higheft; and for this pur- 
pofe they turn themfelves feveral times round be- 
fore they lie down, in order to fix on the moft 
convenient fituations. Like hares, they fleep with 
their eyes half open, and continue extremely wake- 
ful if fufpicious of danger. The male and female 
never repofe at the fame time ; but, when he refts, 
fhe remains on the watch, filently continuing to 
guard him, with her head turned towards the place 
where he lies. When fhe fuppofes that he has 
had fufficient refrefhment, fhe then awakes him by 
a kind of murmuring noife, forces him from his 
bed, and occupies his place. He then performs 
the fame kind offices to the female in his turn, and 
continues vigilant till fhe has finilhed her nap. 
Extremely falacious in their natures, thefe ani- 
mals are capable of propagating their kind at the 
age of fix weeks. The female goes with young 
about five weeks, and ufually brings forth from 
three to five at a time : but, what is very extraor- 
dinary, fhe admits the male the very day fhe has 
brought forth, and becomes pregnant again ; fo that 
their increale is really aftonifhing. She fuckles 
her young about twelve or fifteen days ; but, dur- 
ing that time, fhe feems incapable of diftinguifh- 
ing between her own and the progeny of ano- 
ther. The young are, like all others of the hare 
kind, produced with their eyes open; and, in lefs 
than half a day, equal their dams in agility. 
Though the parent is furniihed with but two teats. 
GUI 
fhe abundantly fupplies her offspring with mllkj 
and they are almoft capable of fiibfifting on vege- 
tables from their very birth. If the young are 
permitted to continue long together, the ftronger, 
as in all other focieties, will foon begin to ufurp 
dominion over the weaker. Their animofities, 
which are frequent and obftinate, and their jealou- 
fies very apparent, often originate from a defire of 
die warmeft place, or the moft agreeable food. If 
one of them happens to be more fortunate in this 
refpeft than it's companion, the ftrongeft gene- 
rally difcovers the advantage, and endeavours to 
pofiefs it. Their manner of fighting is ridiculous 
enough to a fpeftator: one of them feizes the 
hair on the nape of the other's neck with it's fore- 
teeth, and attempts to tear it away ; the other, by 
way of retaliation, turns it's pofteriors to it's ene- 
my, kicks up behind like a horfe, and with it's 
hinder claws fcratches the fides of it's antagonift; 
fo that they are fometimes miutually covered with 
blood. 
But, though fufficiently formidable to each 
other, with regard to the reft of animated nature, 
thefe creatures, as already obferved, are the moil 
timorous on earth; a falling leaf difturbs them, 
and the moft ignoble and feeble adverfary over- 
comes them: hence they are tamed with difficulty; 
and will fuffer none to approach them except the 
perfon by whom they are fed. They grunt fome- 
what like young pigs; and their notes exprelTive 
of pain, are very piercing. 
Some people eat the flefh of thefe animals; but 
it by no means fufficiently compenfates for the 
trouble of rearing them. 
GUINIAD, OR GWINIAD; the Salmo La- 
varetus of Linnaeus. A fifh of the truttaceous 
kind, generally known among authors by the name 
of ferra, and commonly caught in the lakes of 
Wales, England, and Scotland. It is alfo found 
in Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Lapland, 
and Ireland. 
The Scotch have a tradition, that this fifh was 
firft introduced into their country by the beau- 
teous but unfortunate Queen Mary. Sibbald calls 
it Vandefius, from the French Vendoife, a Dace; 
to which an incurious obferver might be tempted to 
compare it from the whitenefs of it's fcales. It's 
Britifti name Gwiniad, or Whiting, was given it on 
account of the whitenefs of it's body. 
The Guiniad has fometimes been found to 
weigh three or four pounds; it's length is from 
eleven to fifteen inches; and it's greateft depth 
from three to four. The head is fmall, fmooth, 
and dufky; the eyes are large; the pupil is of a 
deep blue colour; the nofe is obtufe; the jaws are 
of equal lengths; and the mouth is fmall, and de- 
ftitute of teeth. The covers of the gills are fil- 
very, fprinkled with black; and the brancliiofte- 
gous rays are nine in number. The back is 
flighdy arched and carinated; the colour, as far as 
the lateral lines, is gloffed with deep blue and pur- 
ple, but near thefe affumes a filvery caft tinged 
with gold; and, beneath them, thofe colours en- 
tirely prevail. The lateral line is ftraight, and 
compofed of a feries of diftinft fpots of a duflcy 
hue; the belly is a little prominent; the firft dorfal 
fin, which is placed almoft in the middle, confifts 
of fourteen branched rays; and the fecond, which 
is thin and tranfparent, is fituated near the tail. 
The peftoral fins contain eighteen rays; the ven- 
tral twelve; and the anal fifteen, all branched at 
their extremities. The ventral fins, in feme, are 
4U of 
