The best account of the anatomy of this animal,from the dissection of one which died in the menagerie of the Society, was given by Mr. Yarrell, in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' in 1S31. In this paper Mr. Yarrell remarks that in some previously pub lished observations, he had stated that the Chinchilla appeared to be closely allied to Mr. Brooke's Lagostonius, but that the more compli cated structure of the teeth, and the existence of an additional toe on each of the feet, require for the Chinchilla the ge neric distinction claimed for it by Mr. Bennett and Dr. J. E. Gray. He adds that the resemblance of the skeleton to that of the Jerboa is also remark able, particularly in the form of the head, in the excessive development of the auditory cavities, and the small size of the an terior extremities com pared with the hind legs.
Although an extensive trade has been carried on in the skins of this interesting little animal, it is only within the last few years that it has been seen alive in this country.
The earliest account of this animal, as cited by Mr. Bennett, is an English translation (London. 1604) of Father Joseph Acosta's Natural and Moral History of the East and West Indies,' published at Barce lona, in Spanish, in 1591. " The Chinchilles is another kind of small beasts, like squirrels ; they have a woonderfull smooth e and soft skinne, which they (the natives) weare as a healthful! thing to comfort the stomacke and those parts that have neode of a moderate heate." Sir John Hawkins, in his Voyage into the South Sea, 1593 ' (London, Small folio, 1622, reprinted in ‘Purchas his Pilgrims '), says, " Amongst others they have little beastes, like unto a equirrell, but that he is grey ; his skinne is the most delicate, soft, and curious furre that I have seene, and of much estimation (as is reason) in Peru ; few of them come into Spaine, because difficult to be come by, for that the princes and nobles laie wait for them ; they call this beast Chin than the two lateral ones, and the fourth, external to the others, very short and placed far behind. On all these toes the claws are short, and nearly hidden by tufts of bristly hairs. The tail is about half the length of the body, of equal thickness throughout, and covered chills, and of them they have great abundance." Alonso do Ovalle, in his ' Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Chili' (Rome, 1646), calls them squirrels. "The squirrels (Ardas) which are found only in the valley of Guam°, are ash-coloured, and their skins are in great esteem fur the fineness and softness of the fur." An anonymous Italian author, supposed by some bibliographers--erronoously, as Mr. Bennett thinks—to be the Abbe Vidnurn, who published at Bologna, in 1770, a Compendium of the Geographical, Natural, end Civil History of the Kingdom of Chili, speaks of the Aisle (Spanish for squirrel) as a species of rat, or campagnol, of the size of a cat, found only in the province of Copaipo, moderately docile, and covered with ash-coloured wool, as close and delicate as the finest cotton. Buffon, and that too after quoting Feuillee'a excellent description, confounded it with the Chinclie, the most stinking of beasts. D'Azara corrected this error, but falls into another himself, in regarding the Chinche of Feuillne and Buffon as his Yagonarn. Molina (' Natural History of Chili '—ltalian, Bologna, 1762) describes the Chinchilla as a species of Lints:elm 311u, under the name of 31u4 laniger. Gmelin adopted the appellation, but M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire considered that it ought to
be regarded as one of hie Hamsters. Zoologists generally took up this opinion, and Molina, in a second edition of bis Essay (1810) seems to have entertained it.. " The Chinchilla" save Molina, " is another spe cies of field-rat, in great estimation for the extreme fineness of its wool, if a rich fur as delicate as tbe silken webs of the garden-spiders may be so termed. It is of an ash-gray, and sufficiently long for spinning. The little animal which produces it is six inches long from the no to the root of the tail, with small pointed ears, a short muzzle, teeth like the house-rat, and a tail of moderate length, clothed with a delicate fur. It lives in burrows underground, in the open country of the northern provinces of Chili, and is very fond of being in com pany with others of its species. It feeds upon the roots of various bulbous plants which grow abundantly in thoae parts; and produces twice a year five or six young ones. It is so docile and mild in tem per that if taken into the hands it neither bites nor tries to escape, but seems to take a pleasure in being care&sed. If placed in the bosom it remains there as still and quiet as if it were in its own nest.. Thia extraordinary placidity may possibly be rather due to its pusillani mity, which renders it extremely timid. Aa It is in itself peculiarly cleanly, there can be no fear of it soiling the clothea of those who handle it, or of its communicating any bad smell to them, for it is entirely free from that ill odour which characterises the other apeeiea of rat& For this reason it might well be kept in the houses with no annoyance, and at a trifling expense, which would be abundantly repaid by the profits on its wool. The ancient Peruvians, who were far more industrious than the modern, made of this woo] coverlets for beds and valuable stuffs. There is found in the name northern provinces another little animal with fine wool, called the Harclilla, which is variously described by those who have seen it ; but as I have never observed it myself, I cannot determine to what genus it belongs." Upon this, Mr. Bennett, whose translation we have given, remarks that there can be little doubt that this animal is identical with the Chin chilla, the latter being frequently spoken of by the name of Aria, tbe same with Harda, the diminutive of which is Hardilla. Schmidt meyer (' Travels into Chile over the Andes,' London, 4th, 1824), thus describes the animal :—" The Chinchilla is a woolly field-mouse, which liven underground, and chiefly feeds on wild onions. Its fine fur is well known in Europe ; that which comes from Upper Peru is rougher and larger than the Chinchilla of Chile, but not always ao beautiful in its colour. Great numbers of these animals are caught in the neigh bourhood of Coquimbo and Copiapo, generally by boys with dogs, and isold to traders who bring them to Santiago and Valparaiso, from whence they are exported. The Peruvian skins are either brought to Buenos Ayres from the eastern parts of the Andes, or sent to Lima. The extensive nee of this fur has lately occasioned a very considerable destruction of the animals?' Captain Beechey, R.N., on his 'return from his expedition to the north-west coast of America, presented a living specimen to the Zoolo gical Society ; and an entire akin, rendered particularly valuable in consequence of its having the skull preserved in it, was at the same time brought home by Mr. Collie, the surgeon of Captain Becchoy's ship, and deposited in the British Museum.