14 
©VINE A FIG, 
does not seem to know her own ; for if the young* 
of any other be brought,, though much older, she 
never drives them away,, but suffers them even to 
drain her to the disadvantage of her own imme- 
diate offspring. They are produced with the eyes 
©pen,, like all others of the cavy kind ; and in 
about twelve hours equal even to the dam in agi- 
lity. Although the dam has but two. teats, yet 
she abundant!}' supplies them with milk; and they 
are also capable of feeding upon vegetables, almost 
from the very beginning. If the young ones are 
permitted to continue together, the stronger, as in 
all other societies, soon begins to govern the weak. 
Their contentions are often long and obstinate ; 
and their jealousies very apparent. Their disputes 
are usually for the warmest place, or the most 
agreeable food. If one of them happens to be 
more fortunate in this respect than the rest, the 
strongest generally comes to dispossess it of its 
advantageous situation. Their manner of fight- 
ing, though terrible to them, is ridiculous enough 
to a spectator. One of them seizes the hair on 
the nape of the other’s neck with its fore teeth, 
and attempts to tear it away ; the other, to re- 
taliate, turns its hinder parts to the enemy, and 
kicks up behind like a horse, and with its hinder 
claws scratches the sides of its adversary ; so that 
sometimes they cover each other with blood. 
When they contend in this manner, they gnash 
their teeth pretty loudly, and this is often a denun- 
ciation of mutual resentment. 
These, though so formidable to each other, yet 
are the most timorous creatures upon earth, with 
respect to the rest of animated nature : a falling 
leaf disturbs them, and every animal overcomes 
them. From hence they are difficultly tamed; 
and will suffer none to approach them, except the 
person by whom they arc fed. Their manner of 
