p 
CAVY TEIBE. 9 
of a peculiar shape, being a little flattened, and 
channeled with a longitudinal furrow ; they are 
white at the point, and black in the middle, and 
many of them are black above and white below ; 
and from this mixture results a varying cast of 
black and white over the whole body of the animal. 
This species, like others of its genus, which na- 
ture seems to have provided with defensive weapons 
only, possesses a kind of instinctive fierceness ; 
when approached, it stamps with its feet, and ap« 
pears to inflate itself, raising and shaking its 
quills. It sleeps much by day, and is active only 
by night. It eats in a sitting posture, holding 
apples and other fruits between its paws, peeling 
them with its teeth ; it is particularly pleased 
with stone fruits, and especially with apricots ; it 
will also eat melons, and is never observed to 
drink. 
CAVY TRIBE. 
These animals were arranged by Linnaeus along 
with the mice ; but that tribe having been thought 
much too extensive, and comprehending many ani- 
mals that differed very materially both inform and 
habit, it was at length thought necessary to ar- 
range the cavies under a separate head ; distin- 
guishing them by the structure of their feet, the 
proportion of their limbs, &c. the teeth being 
nearly the same in all. 
They have in each jaw two wedge-shaped front 
teeth, and eight grinders. They have likewise 
four or five toes on the fore feet, and from thr©& 
VOL. II. G 
