CARPINCHO . 
185 
differ from the other cavies in being diurnal. To protect its eyes from the glare of 
the midday sun, the mara has well-developed eyelashes, which are wanting in its 
nocturnal allies. In disposition these cavies are extremely shy and timid, taking 
to flight at the least alarm, and generally trusting to their legs, rather than to the 
shelter of their burrows, for safety. Their food consists chiefly of grass and the 
roots and stems of such other plants as grow near their burrows. Of their repro¬ 
duction, it is only known that the female produces twice in the year from two to 
five young, which are born and nurtured in the burrow. They have been introduced 
by Sir E. G. Loder into his park near Horsham, having bred there several times. 
Maras are among the few mammals that habitually enjoy basking in the 
full sunshine. When thus reposing it usually lies stretched out on its side or 
flat on its belly; and in the latter posture, as shown in the central figure of our 
engraving, bend the fore-foot backward in a manner unlike any other rodent. 
When disturbed, they at once assume a sitting position, resting on their fore-feet 
and heels, and raising their heads as high as possible in order to see whence the 
danger comes. After taking to flight, they generally stop when they have run 
fifty or a hundred paces, and turn to look round; repeating this process after 
having again run a short distance. When caught young, they can be tamed 
without much difficulty, although they require to be tethered. By the natives 
mara are hunted for their flesh; but this, although white when cooked, is described 
as being dry and tasteless. 
Fossilised remains of three species of these animals have been obtained from 
the caves of Lagoa Santa, in Brazil; one of these being probably inseparable from 
the existing form. 
Carpincbo. 
The carpincho or capivara (Hydrochoerus capivara), which takes 
its second name from a Spanish modification of the native term 
capugua, is the largest of living Rodents, reaching a length of about 4 feet, and 
weighing 98 lbs. From this large size, coupled with its bristly hair and grunting 
cry, the animal is often designated the water-hog. It is a rodent of bulky build, 
with moderately long legs, small ears, cleft upper lip, no tail, and short webs between 
the short-nailed toes. The neck is short; the head long, broad, and much flattened 
above; the eyes large and widely separated; and the ears with a notch in their 
hinder border. The hind-legs are considerably longer than the front pair. The 
skin is clothed somewhat sparsely with long and coarse hair, of a reddish brown 
colour above, and brownish yellow beneath; the bristles around the mouth being 
black. The upper incisor teeth are marked with a broad and shallow groove in 
front; while the molars are characterised by the great complexity of the last tooth 
of the series. Thus in the upper jaw the last molar comprises some twelve trans¬ 
verse plates, and exceeds the united length of the three teeth in front of it; while 
in the lower jaw the corresponding tooth is somewhat less complex, although still 
much larger than either of the others. This complexity of the last molar, which is 
quite unparalleled elsewhere among the rodents, presents a condition analogous to 
that existing in the wart-hogs. 
The carpincho is distributed over the whole of Eastern South 
America, as far south as the Rio de la Plata; and also extends west¬ 
wards into the lowlands of Bolivia and Peru. The existing species occurs in the 
Distribution. 
