MR.  E.  T.  BENNETT  ON  THE  CHINCHILLID^. 
43 
is  much  more  precise  in  its  description,  although  scarcely  sufficiently  technical  for  the 
purposes  of  the  systematic  naturalist.  Before  proceeding,  however,  to  the  latter  class 
of  writers,  I  shall  conclude  my  account  of  what  has  been  said  of  these  creatures  by 
travellers  in  their  native  country,  by  referring  to  Proctor',  Head^,  Miers^,  and  Haigh*. 
The  first  of  these  gives  nearly  all  the  particulars  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  rest,  and 
I  have  therefore  extracted  his  account  in  the  note  below'.  Miers  adds,  that  the  skin 
of  the  Viscacha  is  among  the  articles  of  commerce  brought  by  the  Pampa  Indians  to 
Buenos  Ayres^. 
A  specimen  of  this  animal,  which,  in  1814,  was  living  at  the  Menagerie  at  Exeter 
'Change,  was  the  first  that  came  under  the  notice  of  European  naturalists.  It  was 
there  observed  by  M.  de  Biainville  and  M.  F.  Cuvier,  both  of  whom  described  it ;  the 
former  in  the  'Nouveau  Dictionnaire  d'Histoire  Naturelle'",  and  the  latter  in  the 
'  Dictionnaire  des  Sciences  Naturelles under  the  name  of  Dipus  maximus,  Blainv., 
erroneously  referring  it  to  the  family  of  the  Jerboas,  and  not  in  the  least  suspecting  its 
identity  with  the  Viscacha.  This  identity  was  also  overlooked  by  the  late  Mr.  Brookes, 
who  became  possessed  of  the  specimen  in  question  after  its  death,  and  prepared  from  it 
a  stuffed  skin  and  a  skeleton,  which  formed  part  of  his  valuable  Museum.  These  ma- 
terials became  the  basis  of  a  paper  by  that  celebrated  anatomist  '  On  a  new  Genus  of 
the  Order  Rodentia,'  read  before  the  Linnean  Society  in  June,  1828,  and  published  in 
their  'Transactions'  at  the  commencement  of  the  following  year^  To  the  new  genus 
thus  established  Mr.  Brookes  gave  the  name  of  Lagostomus,  and  to  the  species  that  of 
trichodactylus :  he  described  the  animal  and  its  skeleton  (the  latter  at  considerable 
length),  and  gave  a  plate'"  containing  figures  of  both,  together  with  the  details  of  the 
teeth.    The  identity  of  this  animal  with  the  Viscacha  of  D'Azara  became  quickly  ap- 
'  Narrative  of  a  Journey  across  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes,  &c.  London,  1825. 
^  Rough  Notes  taken  during  some  rapid  Journeys  across  the  Pampas  and  among  the  Andes.  London,  1826, 
pp.  82,  84-5. 
^  Travels  in  Chile  and  La  Plata.  London,  1826.  vol.  i.  p.  68. 
Sketches  of  Buenos  Ayres  and  Chile.  London,  1829.  pp.  28-9.  &  66. 
'  "The  whole  country  from  Buenos  Ayres  to  San  Luis  de  la  Punta,  is  more  or  less  burrowed  by  an  animal 
between  a  rabbit  and  badger,  called  the  biscacho,  which  renders  travelling  dangerous,  particularly  by  night, 
their  holes  being  so  large  and  deep,  that  a  horse  is  almost  sure  to  fall  if  he  steps  into  one  of  them.  The  bis- 
cacho never  ventures  far  from  its  retreat,  and  is  seldom  seen  till  the  evening,  when  it  comes  out  to  feed,  and 
hundreds  may  be  observed  sporting  round  their  holes,  and  making  a  noise  very  similar  to  the  grunting  of  pigs. 
Their  flesh  is  much  liked  by  the  people,  and  they  are  remarkably  fat,  and  on  that  account  when  caught  at  any 
distance  from  their  holes  are  easily  run  down ;  they  will,  however,  defend  themselves  from  a  dog  a  considerable 
time.  The  holes  of  these  animals  are  also  inhabited  by  vast  numbers  of  small  owls,  which  sit  during  the  day 
gazing  at  the  passing  travellers,  and  making  a  very  ludicrous  appearance.  The  parts  of  the  road  most  fre- 
quented by  the  biscacho  are  generally  overrun  by  a  species  of  small  wild  melon,  bitter  to  the  taste ;  whether  it 
thrives  particularly  in  the  manure  of  the  animal,  or  whether  the  biscacho  chooses  his  hole  near  this  running 
plant,  does  not  seem  to  have  been  ascertained."  pp.  18,  19. 
'  Vol.  i.  p.  259.       ^  Tom.  xiii.  p.  117.       '  Tom.  xviii.  p.  471.       '  Vol.  xvi.  p.  95.  Tab.  9. 
G  2 
