MR.  E.  T.  BENNETT  ON  THE  CHINCHILLID^. 
37 
by  the  Inca  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  whose  '  Commentarios  Reales'  were  published  at 
Lisbon  in  1609,  and  who  describes  the  Viscacha  as  a  kind  of  rabbit,  with  a  long  tail 
like  that  of  a  cat,  inhabiting  desert  places  covered  with  snow.  In  the  time  of  the  Inca 
monarchs,  and  for  many  years  afterwards,  he  says,  the  natives  were  in  the  habit  of 
spinning  its  wool  for  the  preparation  of  their  robes  of  finer  texture,  such  as  were  worn 
only  by  the  nobles.  Its  colour  he  describes  as  a  light  brown  mixed  with  ash-grey ;  it 
is  soft  and  smooth,  and  was  held  in  great  estimation \  The  greater  part  of  this  account 
is  almost  literally  copied  by  De  Laet,  in  1633^. 
My  next  authority  is  Nieremberg,  whose  very  brief  notice  of  the  Viscacha^  is  evi- 
dently copied  from  Garcilasso,  with  a  glance  perhaps  at  Acosta  or  Cieca.  He  adds, 
moreover,  a  figure  (how  obtained  is  not  stated)  which,  though  rude,  is  by  no  means  a 
despicable  representation  of  the  animal.  It  has  long  narrow  pointed  ears,  and  a  bushy 
tail ;  its  habit  giving  the  idea  of  the  head  and  body  of  a  rabbit,  with  the  tail  of  a  fox 
retroverted  over  the  back  like  that  of  a  squirrel. 
From  this  period  the  Peruvian  Viscacha  seems  to  have  remained  unnoticed  for  nearly 
a  century,  when  it  was  again  observed  by  Feuillee^  who  saw  specimens  of  it  domesti- 
cated in  the  houses  at  Lima.  He  speaks  of  it  as  a  kind  of  rabbit,  usually  inhabiting 
the  colder  parts  of  the  country,  of  a  mouse  colour,  with  a  very  soft  fur,  a  long  tail 
turned  upwards,  and  the  ears  and  moustaches  of  the  European  rabbit,  from  which  it 
does  not  differ  in  size,  while  its  sitting  posture  is  also  similar.  In  his  Preface  he 
mentions  his  intention  of  figuring  the  animal,  but  he  has  neglected  to  do  so.  We 
learn,  however,  from  M.  Desmarest^  that  his  original  drawing  still  exists,  in  the 
possession  of  M,  Huzard. 
*  "  Otra  difFerencia  de  conejos  ay  que  llaman  Vizcacha,  tienen  cola  larga  como  gato,  crianse  en  los  desiertos 
donde  aya  nieve,  y  no  les  vale  que  alia  van  a  matarlos.  En  tiempo  de  los  Reyes  Incas,  y  muchos  anos  depues 
(que  a  un  yo  lo  alcance)  approvechavan  el  pelo  de  la  Vizcacha,  y  lo  hilavan  de  por  si,  para  variar  de  colores  la 
ropa  fina  que  texian.  El  color  que  tiene  es  pardo  claro,  color  de  ceniza,  y  el  es  de  suyo  blando  y  suave,  era 
cosa  muy  estimada  entre  los  Indies,  no  se  echava  sino  en  la  ropa  de  los  nobles."  Part  I.  fol.  216. 
"  "  Habent  et  aliam  speciem  cuniculorum,  quam  vocant  Vizcacha,  cauda  oblonga  instar  felis,  generantur  in 
solitudinibus  nivalibus.  Sub  imperio  Yncarum  atque  adeo  postea,  villos  illorum  ducebant  in  fila,  quibus  pannos 
nobiles  intertexebant  elegantise  gratia,  sunt  enim  colore  pardo  diluto  vel  cinereo,  blandique  et  tenues." — De- 
scriptio  Indice  Occidentalis,  Liigd.  1633,  p.  407. 
^  "  Viscachse  contra  dicuntur  cuniculi  genus,  quod  feles  imitetur  prolixitate  caudae.  Amant  nives,  quos  ibi 
etiam  inquirit  gula.    Pilus  olim  gratus,  in  pretio  et  usu." — Historia  Naturce,  Antv.  1635,  p.  161. 
■*  "  Les  Viscachos  sont  une  espece  de  Lapins  sauvages,  qui  gitent  ordinairement  dans  les  lieux  froids.  J'en 
vis  dans  des  maisons  de  Lima,  qu'on  avait  familiarisez ;  leur  poil  gris  de  souris  est  fort  doux :  ils  ont  la  queue 
assez  longue,  retroussee  par  dessus,  les  oreilles  et  la  barbe  comme  celles  de  nos  lapins,  ils  s'accroupissent  comme 
eux,  et  n'en  different  pas  en  grosseur.  Durant  le  regno  des  Incas  on  se  servoit  du  poil  des  Viscachos  pour 
diversifier  les  couleurs  des  laines  les  plus  fines :  les  Indiens  en  faisoient  alors  un  si  grand  cas,  qu'ils  ne  les 
emploioient  qu'aux  etofFes  dont  les  gens  de  la  premiere  qualite  s'habilloient." — Journal  des  Observations 
Physiques,  &c.  torn.  iii.  (1725.)  p.  32-3. 
'  loc.  cit. 
