Fournier’s utia. 
473 
are cultivated there in profusion. Cellular labyrinths 
riddle the rocks through and through, and their 
hiding-places are intricate and difficult. As they 
are secure in such localities against the pursuit of 
dogs, the Conies brought for sale are always obtained 
by trapping. They go out to feed, and return to 
their lodgments, by a constant pathway, observed 
to be well-trodden, and strewed with pellets of dung, 
and leading into adjoining provision grounds. As 
they feed at night, they are not commonly met with 
abroad; but if they are surprised, and the track-way 
to their holes be at some distance off, they may be 
dodged, and run down, and taken. I have seen live 
Conies brought into town, but they were always young 
animals, and were said to have been run down and 
caught before they could retreat to the rocks ; they 
wanted the experience and cunning of the old ones, 
though they are naturally of quick vision and of 
acute scent, and their taste is delicate and fastidious. 
“ I mentioned Fournier’s description of the Utia of 
Cuba. He seems to have been the first naturalist 
who described the true characteristics of this animal, 
and assigned it its proper place in classification ; hence 
the Cuba Cony has received his own name, Capromys 
Furnieri, The distinguishing characteristic of our 
species is its shorter tail. That appendage is about 
half the length of that of the Capromys of Cuba. 
Whatever may be the differences of power and of 
habit which accompany this distinction, there seems 
to be enough of a common character to make the 
following extract from Fournier’s account of his 
animal applicable to the Jamaica species. ‘ Their 
