SPOTTED CAV Y » 21 
inhabits Brasil and Guiana, and lives in fenny 
places. It burrows under ground,, grows very 
fat, and is esteemed a great delicacy in Brasil; 
even its skin is eat, like that of a pig. It eats its 
meat on the ground, not sitting up as some others 
of this genus do. It is a solitary timorous animal, 
and the prey of a vast number of enemies. 
They are discovered by little dogs, who point 
out the places they lie in. The master digs over 
them ; and when he comes near, transfixes them 
with a knife; otherwise they are apt to escape. 
When they have an opportunity, they will bite 
dreadfully. There is a variety of them quite 
white, found on the banks of the river St. Francis. 
Mr. Pennant says, that in size this species mea- 
sures only ten inches ; but Buffon says they are 
larger than any rabbit. Speaking of one that was 
kept in France, Though our animal/' says he, 
had not acquired his full growth, he was eigh- 
teen inches long in his natural contracted situa- 
tion ; but when he extended himself, he was near 
two feet. His head from the nose to the top of 
the front, w r as five inches ; his eyes were about 
two inches distant. When upon his legs, his 
height before was seven inches ; behind about nine 
inches and a half. The posterior part of the 
body measured nineteen inches and a half in cir- 
cumference, the fore part only fourteen. Five lon- 
gitudinal rows of white spots ran along the sides, 
and approached each other at the extremities. 
His tail was hardly visible. Upon search, we 
found a small button of two or three inches long/' 
The count gives a pretty full account of the 
manner of living and acting of the above animal, 
which he kept in liis house from the month of 
August, 1774, to the twenty-eighth of May, 1775 ; 
during all which period its size continued to aug- 
ment. Provided with a wooden cage or box, it 
