Reviews and Eartracts. 
37 
complimeut, to imagine they have no desire to become acquainted with the animal 
by which it is furnished ; vve are happy therefore to have it in our power to gra¬ 
tify them, as well as the scientific Zoologist, by a figure and description of so 
interesting a creature, the former the only one that has yet been given to the 
world, and the latter the first that has appeared in our language. 
“ Notwithstanding the extensive trade carried on in its skins, the Chinchilla 
might have been regarded until the last year, almost an unknown animal. The ear¬ 
liest account of it which has been met with, is contained in Father Joseph Acosta’s 
Natural and Moral History of the East and West Indies, published at Barcelona, 
in Spanish, in the year 1391. From an English translation of this work, printed 
at London, in 1604, we have extracted the following sentence, which is all that 
relates to the animal in question. ‘ 7’he Chinchilles is another kind of small 
beastes, like squirrels, they have a wondcrfull smooth and soft skinne, which they 
weare as a healthfull thing- to comfort the stomacke and those partes that have 
neede of a moderate heate.’ The concluding part of the extract however shows 
that this latter is spoken of the human natives, as it says ‘ they make coverings 
and ruggesof the haire of these Chinchilles which are found on theSierre of Peru,’ 
“ The animals are again mentioned, and nearly to the same purpose in Observa¬ 
tions of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knight, in his Voyage into the South Sea, A.D. 
1593, he says, ‘ among others they have little beastes, like unto a squirrell, but 
that he is grey, his skinne is the most delicate, soft, and curious furre that I have 
scene and of much estimation in the Peru, few of them come into Spaine, because 
difficult to be come by, for that the princes and nobles laie waite for them, they 
call this beast Chinchilla, and of them they have great abundance.” Molina’s 
Essay on the Natural History of Chili, was originally published in Italian at Bo¬ 
logna, in 1782, and in a second edition published in 1810 the following has been 
translated. ‘The Chinchilla is another species of field rat, in great estimation 
for the fineness of its wool, if a rich fur, as delicate as the silken webs of the 
g-arden spider may be so termed : it is of an ash grey and sufficiently long- for spin¬ 
ning-. The little animal which prod'dces it is six inches long, from the nose to the 
root of the tail, with small pointed ears, with a small muzzle, teeth like the house 
rat, and a tail of moderate length, clothed with a delic-ate fur. It lives in bur¬ 
rows under ground, in the open country of the northern provinces of Chili, and is 
very fond of being- in company with others of its species. It feeds upon the roots 
of various bulbous plants, which grow abundantly in those parts; and produces 
five or six young ones twice a year. It is so docile and mild in temper that if 
taken into the hand it neither bites nor tries to escape, but seems to take a plea¬ 
sure in being caressed. If placed in the bosom it remains there as still and quiet 
as if it were in its own nest. This extraordinary placidity may possibly be due 
to its pusillanimity which renders it extremely timid. As it is in itself peculiarly 
cleanly, there can be no fear of its soiling- the clothes of those who handle it, or of 
its communicating any unpleasant smell to them, for it is entirely free from that ill 
odour which characterizes the other species of rats. For this reason it might well 
be kept in houses with no annoyance, and at a trifling- expense, which would be 
amply repaid by the profits on its wool. The ancient Peruvians, who were far 
more industrious than the modern, made of this wool coverlets of beds and valuable 
stuffs.” The same writer adds, ‘there is found in the same northern provinces 
another little animal with fine wool, called the Hardilla, which is variously 
described by those who have seen it, but as he had never observed it himself, he 
could not determine to what genus it belonged. ‘ There can be little doubt 
(remarks Mr. Bennett,) but that this animal is identical with the Chin¬ 
chilla.’ Another extract is made from Schmidtmeyar’s Travels into Chili, over 
