"To the account of its habits given by Molina," sap Mr. Bennett, " we can only add, that it usually site upon its haunches, and is even able to raise itself up and stand upon its hinder feet. It feeds in a sitting pos ture, grasping lte food and conveying it to its mouth by ineana of its fore paws. In its temper it ie generally mild and tractable, but it will not always Buffer itself to be handled without resistance, and sometimes bikes the hand which attempts to fondle it when not in humour to be played with. Although a native of the alpine valleys of Chili, and consequently subjected in its own country to the effects of a low temperature of tha atmosphere, against which its thick coat affords an admirable protection, it was thought necessary to keep it during the winter in a moderately warm room, and a piece of flannel was even introduced into its sleeping-apartment for its greater com fort. Bnt this indulgence was must pertinaciously rejected, and as often as the flannel was replaced, ao often was it dragged by the little animal into the outer cotnpartment of its cage, where it amused itself with pulling it about, rolling it up, rind shaking it with Its feet and teeth. In other ropcct it exhibits but little playfulness, and gives few signs of activity ; seldom disturbiog its usual quietude by any sudden or extraordinary gambole, but occaaionally displaying strong symptoms of alarm when startled by any unuaual occurrence. A second individual of this ii tereeting species has lately been added to the collection by the kindness of Lady Knighton, in whose possession it. had remained twelve months previously to her presenting it to the Society. This specimen is larger in size and rougher in its fur than the one above described ; its colour is also leas uniformly gray, deriving a somewhat mottled appearance from the numerous small blackish spots which are scattered over the back and sides. It is possible that this may be the Peruvian variety, mentioned in the extract from Schmidttneyer's Travels,' as furuishing a less delicate and valuable fur than the Chilian animal. It is equally good-tempered and mild hi its disposition, and, probably in consequence of having been exhibited in a public collection, i13 much more tame and playful. In its late abode it was frequently suffered to run about the room, when it would show off it agility by leaping to the height of the table. Its food consisted principally of dry herbage, ouch as hay and clover, on which it appears to have thriven greatly : that of the Society's original apecinien has hitherto been chiefly grain of various kinds and succu lent root& When the new-corner was first introduced into Bruton Street., it was placed in tha same cage with the other specimen ; but the latter appeared by no mane disposed to aubmit to the presence of the intruder ; a ferocious kind of acuffiing fight immediately emitted between them, and tbe latter would unquestionably have fallen victim had it not been rescued from its impending fate : since that time they have inhabited separate cages, placed aide by side ; and although the open wires would admit of some little familiarity taking place between them, no advances have as yet been made on either side. Such an isolated fact can, of course, have little weight in oppo sition to the testimony of Molina, that the Chinchilla is fond of company. It is nevertheless a remarkable circumstance, and deserves to be mentioned in illustration of the habitspf these animal/4," It breeds freely in confinement, the oldest pair at present in the Zoolo gical Gardens, Regent's Park, having produced seven young ono& The fur of this species is a considerable article of commerce. In muffs, tippets, linings to cloaka and pelisses, and trimmings for the same, it is sold extensively, and at a comparatively high price. The annual import of the skins of Chinchillas into England in 1S51 was 55,000: about 13,000 of these were re-exported.
C. brevicaudala, Waterhouse (Erintnye Chinchilla, Lichtenstein and Wagner). Mr. writerh °use, in his Natural History of the Mamtnalia,' says, "I feel little doubt that further.investigation will prove thin to be a distinct species from the C. laniyera.' This species inhabits Peru, and is larger than the last.
94 Lagostomue. 2 —; molars, = 20.
2 4-4 The incisors are sharpened ; the molars each consists of two com plete oblique lamellae, the upper posterior one being trilamellar. Anterior feet 9-toed, the thumb being altogether deficient, the nails small and falculnr. Posterior feet 3-toed, the nails produced, straight, and robust. Ears moderate. Tail moderate.
L. trichodactylue, Broekes (Callontys riscacia, Is Geoffroy and D'Orbigny ; Dipus maximize, De Blainville). It is La Vizeache of D'Azara, and the Marmot Diana of Griffiths, translator of Clivier'a 'Animal Kingdom?' The following are the characters as given in Mr. Waterhouse's work :--Body stout ; limbo powerful ; tarsi long ; oar nearly half as long as the head, broad at the base, narrow at the opposite extremity, being distinctly marginated behind; fur soft and moderately long. General line of the upper parts of the animal gray, somewhat mottled with dusky, and distinctly pencilled with black ; the whole of the under parts white or yellow-white ; a broad dusky or black band extends on either aide, from the muzzle to the back part of the cheek ; an equally broad white band crosses the 'nuzzle and termitustee each side beucath the eye, and a third narrow band passes across the forehead, which is of a dusky hue ; tail about half the length of the body, for the most part of a dusky brown-blackish colour, and clothed with long hairs on the upper surface.
This animal appears to be the Viscacha described by so many travellers as colonising the vast plains eastward of the great chain of the Andes. Dobrizhoffer, Jolis, D'Azara, Proctor, Head, Micro, and Haigh, all mention it, Captain (now Sir Francis) Head gives a picture of these animals, sitting solemnly at the entrance of their burrows, quite in his peculiar style. Biscacho is the name he assigns to them, and according to his account, the Bisvielmeras, or Biscacho burrows, which perforate the plains, are terrible traps for the unwary horsemen.
The following extracts are from the accounts of two foreign travel lers (whose works are not in the hands of every one) of the habits of this species :—" The Biscacha, called by the Abiponea Nehelliterek," says Dobrizhoffer in his curious Historia de Abiponibus ' (Viennx, 1784), " digs its burrows in the more elevated parts of the plains with so much art, that no aperture is left by which the rain can penetrate; and these burrows are divided into distinct settlements, numerous families inhabiting the same locality. On the surface of the ground are several entrances to the burrows, at which, towards sunset, they are seen seated in crowds, diligently listening for the sound of any person approaching. If everything remains quiet, they seek their food in the obscurity of the night, and commit grievous devastation on the neighbouring fields, devouring both wheat and Indian corn with extreme avidity, and when either is to be had despising grass. For this reason the stations of the Biswehas are rarely to be seen in the desert plains, but indicate with certainty the near neighbourhood of the Spanish settlements. I have often wondered never to have
seen the Biaeacha in the territories either of the Abipones or the Guaranis, although well supplied with all kinds of crops. They daily heap up, at the entrances of their burrow, dry bones, chips of wood, or whatever other refuse they may meet with, but for what purpose they collect such things it is impossible even to conjecture. The Spanish colonists amuse themselves with hunting them ; pouring many buckets of water into their subterraneous retreats, until, to avoid drowning, the animals come forth into the plain, where, no means of escape being afforded them, they are killed with sticks. Their flesh, unless when very old, is not considered despicable even by the Spaniards." The Abbii Jolis dwelt for twelve years in South America, and made three journeys into the remote districts of the interior. His work, ' Saggio sulfa Storia Naturale della Provineia del Granchaco' (Faenza, 1789), Is so little known, and his description in some particulars differs so much from that of Dobrizhoffer, that we give Mr. Bennett's trans lation of it The Biscachas live in society in burrows ground, which they form for themselves, excavating in all directions to the extent of a mile in circumference, with various exits and separate retreats, in which the old live distinct from the younger. The soil in which these are usually made is that which is hard and barren, and destitute of everything, but with bushes (boseaglie) at no great distance, and pasture of tender grass, roots, and the bark of trees. They collect around their retreats bones, dried leaves, and whatever they find in the neighbourhood : if anything is Missing in their districts, it is to be found with certainty piled up in these situations the following day. As they are animals that avoid the light, having little power of vision, they are not to be seen in the day-time, unless at dawn, or towards evening after sunset. The night, and especially when the moon shines, is the proper time for seeking their food. Those among the Biscachas which are called Chinchillas, and which may be said to belong to the first species, inhabit only the mountains and cold situations; in size they are like a rabbit, and are clothed with a fine long fur. Their agility is surprising; they are seen leaping from rock to rock as if they had the faculty of flight. The others, indicated above, inhabit the level country in warm situa tions. . . . Fierce and courageous, they defend themselves with all their might against the dogs, and sometimes even attack the legs of the hunters. I shall speak in my travels, as a fitter place, of the three curious modes in which they are driven out of their retreats ; that is to say, with water, with fire, and by rubbing sticks together." But neither of those authors mentions the somewhat anoma lous companions with which the Biscachoes are associated, and wo select from the travels of Proctor, Head, Miers, and Haigh, the account of the first-named traveller, which, as Mr. Bennett observes, gives nearly all the particulars which are to be found in the rest. " The whole country, from Buenos Ares to San Luis de la Punta, is more or less burrowed by an animal between a rabbit and a badger, called the Biscacho, which renders travelling dangerous, particularly by night, their holes being so large and deep that a horse is almost sure to fall if he steps into one of them. The Biseacho never ventures far from its retreat, and is seldom seen till the evening, when it comes out to feed, and hundreds may be observed sporting round their holes and making a noise very similar to the grunting of pigs. Their flesh is much liked by the people, and they are remarkably fat, and on that account, when caught at any distance from their holes, are easily run down ; they will however defend themselves from a dog a considerable time. The holes of these animals are also inhabited by vast numbers of small owls, which sit during the day gazing at the passing travel lers, and making a very ludicrous appearance. - The parts of the road most frequented by the Biseacho are generally overrun by a species of small wild melon, bitter to the taste ; whether it thrives particularly on the manure of the animal, or whether the Biscacho chooses his hole nearer this running plant, does not seem to have been ascer tained." The following account of the habits of this creature, from Mr. Darwin's interesting journal, is one of the most recent contributions published on this subject :—" The Viscacha is well known to form a prominent feature in the zoology of the Pampas. It is found as far south as the Rio Negro, iu lat. 41°, but not beyond. It cannot, like the Agouti (Dolachotis Palachonica), subsist on the gravelly and desert plains of Patagonia, but prefers a clayey or sandy soil, which pro duces a different and more abundant vegetation. Near Mendoza, at the foot of the Cordillera, it occurs in close neighbourhood with the allied alpine species. It is a very curious circumstance in its geo graphical distribution that it has never been seen, fortunately for the inhabitants, in Rands Oriental, to the eastward of the river Uruguay ; yet in that province there are plains which appear admirably adapted to its habits. That river has formed an insuperable obstacle to its migration, although the broader barrier of the Parana has been passed ; and the Viscacha is common in Entre Rios (the province between the two rivers), directly on the opposite shore of the Uruguay. Near Buenos Ayres these animals are exceedingly common. Their most favourite resort appears to be those parts of the plain which, during one-half of the year, are covered with great thistles to the exclusion of other plants. The Gumbos affirm that it lives on roots, which, from the great strength of its gnawing teeth and the kind of localities frequented by it, seems probable. As in the case of the rabbit, a few holes are commonly placed together. In the evening the Viscachas come out in numbers, and there quietly sit on their haunches. They are at such times very tame, and a man on horse back passing by seems only to present an object for their grave contemplation. They do not wander far from their burrows. They run very awkwardly, and when hurrying out of danger, from their elevated tails and short front legs, much resemble great rats. Their flesh when cooked is very white and good, but it is seldom used. The Viscacha has one very singular habit, namely, dragging every hard object to the mouth of its burrow. Around each group of holes many bones of cattle, stones, thistle-stalks, hard clumps of earth, dry dung, &c., are collected into a heap, which frequently amounts to as much as a wheelbarrow would contain-. I was credibly informed that a gentleman, when riding in a dark night, dropped his watch ; he returned in the morning, and by searching in the neigh bourhood of every Viscacha hole on the line of road, as he expected, soon found it. This habit of picking up whatever may be lying on the ground anywhere near its habitation must cost much trouble.
For what purpose it is done I am quite unable to form even the most remote conjecture ; it cannot be for defence, because the rubbish is chiefly placed above the mouth of the borrow, which enters the ground at a very small inclination?'