12 
The Naturalist in La Plata. 
cries of wounded and suffering men ; and among 
them the mother-coypu is seen with her progeny, 
numbering eight or nine, with as many on her back 
as she can accommodate, while the others swim after 
her, crying for a ride. 
With reference to this animal, which, as ^ve have 
seen, is prolific, a strange thing once happened in 
Buenos Ayres.. The coypu was much more abun- 
'dant fifty years ago than now, and its skin, which 
Coypu. 
has a fine fur under the long coarse liair, was largely 
exported to Europe. About that time the Dictator 
Eosas issued a decree prohibiting the hunting of 
the coypii. The result was that the animals in- 
creased and multiplied exceedingly, and, abandoning 
their aquatic habits, they became terrestrial and 
migratory, and swmrmed everywhere in search of 
food. Suddenly a mysterious malady fell on them, 
from which they quickly perished, and became 
almost extinct. 
