CAP IB A. XI A CAW. 
lb 
eating is something like that of the rabbit ; and, 
like it, they appear also to chew the cud. Al- 
though they seldom drink, they make water every 
minute. They grunt somewhat like a young pig, 
and have a more piercing note to express pain. In 
a word, they do no injury; but then, except the 
pleasure they afford the spectator, they are of very 
little benefit to mankind. Some, indeed, dress and 
eat them ; but their flesh is indifferent food, and 
by no means a reward for the trouble of rearing 
them. This, perhaps, might be improved, by 
keeping them in a proper warren, and not suffering 
them to become domestic ; however, the advan- 
tages that would result from this, would be few, 
and the trouble great ; so that it is likely they 
would continue an useless, inoffensive dependent* 
rather propagated to satisfy caprice than to supply 
necessity. 
Capibara cavy. 
The capibara lias a very large and thick head 
and nose, small rounded ears, and large black eyes. 
Its upper jaw is longer than the lower. It has 
two strpng and great cutting teeth, and eight 
grinders in each jaw. Each of these grinders 
forms, on its surface, seemingly three teeth, each 
flat at their ends. Its legs are short ; its toes are 
long ; these are connected, near their bottoms, bv 
a small web, and guarded at their ends by a small 
hoof. It has no tail. The hair on the body is 
/short, rough, and brotvn. On its nose it has long 
and hard whiskers. It grows to the size of a hog 
of two years old. It inhabits the country from 
the isthmus of Darien to the Brasils, and even to 
Paraguay, and lives in fenny parts, not remote from 
the banks of great rivers, such as the Oronoko, 
Amazon, and the Rio de la Plata. It runs slowly ; 
