Biography of the Vizcacha, 291 
of from one hundred to two hundred square feet of 
ground. 
The burrows vary greatly in extent ; and usually 
in a vizcachera there are several that, at a distance 
of from four to six feet from the entrance, open into 
large circular chambers. From these chambers 
other burrows diverge in all directions, some run- 
ning horizontally, others obliquely downwards to a 
maximum depth of six feet from the surface : some 
of these burrows or galleries communicate with 
those of other burrows. A vast amount of loose 
earth is thus brought up, and forms a very irregular 
mound, fifteen to thirty inches above the surround- 
ing level. 
It will afford some conception of the numbers of 
these vizcacheras on the settled pampas when I say 
that, in some directions, a person might ride five 
hundred miles and never advance half a mile without 
seeing one or more of them. In districts where, 
as far as the eye can see, the plains are as level and 
smooth as a bowling-green, especially in winter 
when the grass is close- cropped, and where the 
rough giant -thistle has not sprung up, these 
mounds appear like brown or dark spots on a green 
surface. They are the only irregularities that occur 
to catch the eye, and consequently form an im- 
portant feature in the scenery. In some places 
they are so near together that a person on horse- 
back may count a hundred of them from one point 
of view. 
The sites of which the vizcacha invariably makes 
choice to work on, as well as his manner of burrow- 
ing, adapt him peculiarly to live and thrive on the 
u 2 
