STORY OF THE CARPINCHO. 
This animal is generally known as the water-hog, and is found in the 
large rivers of South America. It is now almost extinct, a few specimens 
being still to be found near the head waters of the Amazon. It attains a 
length of five feet, and often weighs over ioo pounds. 
This animal is thoroughly aquatic in its habits, frequenting the margins 
of lakes and rivers, and swimming and diving with great speed. I saw 
several at the islands in the mouth of the Plata, where the water is quite 
salt, but they are more abundant on the borders of fresh-water lakes and 
rivers. Near Maldonado three or four generally live together. In the day¬ 
time they either lie among the aquatic plants, or openly feed on the turf 
plain. When viewed at a distance, from their manner of walking, as well 
as from the color, they resemble pigs; but when seated on their haunches, 
and attentively watching any object with one eye, they resume the appear¬ 
ance of their relatives, the cavies. These animals were very tame; by cau¬ 
tiously walking, I approached within three yards of four old ones. This 
tameness may probably be accounted for by the jaguar having been banished 
for some years, and by the gaucho not thinking it worth his while to 
hunt them. As I approached nearer and nearer, they frequently made their 
peculiar noise, which is a low, abrupt grunt, not having much actual sound, 
but rather arising from the sudden expulsion of the air; the only noise I 
know at all like it is the first hoarse bark of a large dog. Having watched 
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