THE Marmot, Agouti, Guinea-pig, Cavy, Yerboa, Dormouse, &c. which were formerly comprehended under the present genus in the Linnæan arrangement, have, in consequence of more accurate investigation, been lately disjoined, and distributed under four new
See Gmelin's edition as we are past the alphabetical order in which the of the Sy- fons Nates- and the very e- laborate and more ample edition in English, publishing by Kerr.
genera, Myoxus, Arctomys, Dipus, and Cavia*. But three of those genera should have been introduced, we must still describe the above animals (excepting the first) in this place; observing, however, to distinguish them according to their new generic arrangement.
I. Myoxus, or Dormouse. See Myoxus, the Marmot.
II. Arctomys, the Marmot; the characters of which genus are: There are two wedge-like cutting teeth in each jaw; the grinders are five above, and four below, on each side; and there are perfect clavicles or collar-bones.
1. The marmotta, or common marmot, has short round ears; gibbous cheeks; a short hairy tail; the upper parts of the body of a dusky brown colour, and the lower parts reddish. The body and head measure 16 inches, the tail six. This species inhabits the sum-
mits of the Alps and Pyrenean mountains, in dry places where there are no trees. It is more subject to be rendered torpid by cold than any other. In the end of September, or beginning of October, he retires into his hole, from which he comes not out till the beginning of April. His retreat is capacious, broader than long, and very deep, so that it can contain several marmots without any danger of corrupting the air. With their feet and claws, which are admirably adapted for the purpose, they dig the earth with surprising quickness, and throw it behind them. It is not a hole, or a straight or winding tube, but a species of gallery made in the form of a Y, each branch of which has an aperture, and both terminate in one where the animal lodges. As the whole is made on the declivity of a mountain, the innermost part alone is on a level. Both branches of the Y are inclined, and the one is used for depositing the excrements of the animals, and the other for their going out and coming in. The place of their abode is well lined with moss and hay, of which they make ample provision during the summer. It is even affirmed, that this labour is carried on jointly; that some cut the finest herbage, which is collected by others, and that they alternately serve as vehicles for transporting it to their dens. One, it is said, lies down on his back, allows himself to be loaded with hay, extends his limbs, and others trail him in this manner by the tail, taking care not to overset him. These repeated frictiones are assigned as the reason why the hair is generally rubbed off their backs. But it is more probable, that this effect is produced by their frequent digging of the earth. But, whatever may be in this, it is certain that they dwell together, and work in common at their habitations, where they pass three-fourths of their lives. Thither they retire during rain or upon the approach of danger; and never go out but in fine weather, and even then to no great distance. One stands sentinel upon a rock, while the others sport on the grass, or are employed in cutting it to make hay. When the sentinel perceives a man, an eagle, a dog, &c. he alarms the rest with a loud whistle, and is himself the last to enter the hole. They make no provisions for winter; nor have they in that season any occasion for them, as lying asleep all that time. As soon as they perceive the first approaches of the sleeping season, they set to work in shutting up the two entrances of their habitation; and this they perform with such labour and solidity, that it is easier to dig the earth any where else than in the parts they have fortified. They are at this time very fat, weighing sometimes 20 pounds; and they continue to be plump for three months; but afterwards they gradually decay, and are extremely emaciated at the end of winter. When discovered in their retreats, they are found rolled up in the form of a ball, covered with hay; and they are carried off in so torpid a state, that they may be killed without seeming to feel pain. Whentaken young, they may be rendered nearly as tame as our other domestic animals. They are able to walk on their hind-feet, sit up often on their haunches, and carry food to their mouths with their fore-feet. They learn to seize a stick, to dance, to perform various gesticulations, and to obey the voice of their master. Like the cat, the marmot has an antipathy against dogs. When he begins to be familiar in the house, and perceives that
Mus. that he is protected by his master, he attacks and bites dogs of the most formidable kind. Though not so large as a hare, he is stouter, and his strength is aided by a peculiar suppleness and dexterity. With his fore-teeth, which are pretty long, he bites most cruelly; he attacks not, however, either dogs or men unless previously irritated. If not prevented, he gnaws furniture and stuffs; and when confined, pierces even through wood. His voice resembles the murmuring of a young dog when carefessed or in a sporting humour; but when irritated or frightened, he makes a whistling noise, so loud and piercing, that it hurts the ear. The marmots eat every thing presented to them; as flesh, bread, fruit, roots, pot-herbs, may-bugs, grass-hoppers, &c. but milk and butter they prefer to every other aliment. Though less inclined to theft than the cat, they endeavour to slip into the dairy, where they drink great quantities of milk, making, like the cat, a murmuring noise expressive of pleasure. Milk is also the only liquor that is agreeable to them; for they rarely drink water, and they refuse wine. They procreate but once a-year; and the female, after three or four weeks, produces two, three, or four young. The growth of their young is very quick; they live only nine or ten years; and the species is neither numerous nor much diffused. They are easily caught when on plain ground, but with difficulty in their holes, as they dig deeper when in danger of being taken, except in winter when torpid; at which time they are caught in great numbers. They are searched for partly on account of their flesh, which is tender and delicate; partly for their skins; and partly for their fat, which is esteemed medicinal by the inhabitants of the Alps: but they are chiefly taken by the Saroyards for the purpose of being exposed as shows through various parts of Europe. The marmot would make very good eating, if it had not always a disagreeable flavour, which cannot be concealed but by strong seasonings.
the day, placing a sentinel to give warning of approaching danger. The bobak is a timid animal, and feeds only on vegetables, chiefly olereaceous plants. It sits up on the haunches, and carries its food with the fore paws to its mouth, and defends itself in the same posture. It may be easily tamed even when old: it then eats cabbages or bread, and laps milk; but refuses to drink water. In summer it feeds voraciously; but remains torpid all winter, except when kept in very warm places: and even then it eats very little; and escapes if possible, that it may get to some place proper for hibernating; but returns to its master in spring. The flesh resembles that of a hare, though rank; the fat is used for dressing leather and furs; and the skins are employed for clothing by the Russians. The female has eight teats; and probably brings forth early, as by the month of June the young ones are half grown.
4. The citillus, or earless marmot, is of a variable colour, has a convex head, no external ears, and a short hairy tail. This species inhabits the southern parts of Russia as far as Kamtschatka, and the islands between Asia and America; is found in Persia and China; but is now rarely met with in the rest of Europe. They dwell in open, high, dry, and uncultivated places, preferring turf and loamy soils, near the high roads, and never frequent bogs or woods. Each individual has its separate burrow, in which, for provision in the beginning and end of winter, it lays up magazines of grain, tender vegetables, and berries; sometimes though rarely, the carcasses of mice and small birds are added. In the middle of winter these animals lie torpid during the greatest severity of the frost. From the very beginning of spring, as soon as the weather becomes mild, they go out in the day time in quest of food, which they eat sitting on their haunches, carrying it in their fore paws to the mouth. The male is very easily tamed; but the female is fiercer, more given to bite, and is less easily made tame; she goes between three and four weeks with young, and brings forth from three to eight young ones about the beginning of May. The fur is very good in the spring, and the flesh is reckoned tolerable. They are preyed on by polecats, weasels, hawks, carrion crows, and cranes.
This animal varies considerably both in size and colour, being sometimes as large as the common marmot, and sometimes not larger than the water-rat. In general the colour is of a yellowish ash on the upper parts, and dirty white on the belly, (the size of Buffoon); sometimes it is variegated either with waves or small spots of white, (the sousslik of the same author.) Some are white on the upper parts, and waved with tawny or yellow, being pale yellow on the lower parts of the body, and having a longish tail, with shed hair like that of a squirrel: others are of a grey colour on the upper parts of the body, spotted with white; the under parts being of a yellowish white, with white orbits, and the face, between the eyes and the nose, of a brownish yellow, with a short tail.
5. The empetra, or Canadian marmot, is of a mixed grey colour on the upper parts of the body; the lower parts orange; having short rounded ears, and a hairy tail. It is rather larger than a rabbit, and the tail is about two inches and a half long; the head is round, with a blunt nose, and short rounded ears; the cheeks
are full, and of a grey colour; the face is dusky, with a black nose; the hair on the back is grey at the roots, black in the middle, and whitish at the tips; the belly and legs are of an orange colour; the feet are black and naked, having four long, slender, divided toes, and the rudiments of a thumb on each fore foot, and five similar on each behind, all armed with pretty strong claws. This animal was described by Mr Pennant from a living specimen in possession of Mr Brooks, which was very tame, and made a hissing noise. It inhabits Canada, Hudson's Bay, and the other northern parts of America.
Five or six other species of arctomys, some of them suspected to be only varieties, are described by Kerr.
III. Dirus, or Jerboa. There are two fore-teeth in each jaw: the tail is long, and tufted at the end: but the most striking characteristic of this genus is the enormous length of the hind feet and extreme shortness of the fore-paws. From this conformation, instead of walking or running on all fours, they leap or hop on the hind feet like birds, making prodigious bounds, and only use the fore paws for burrowing, or for carrying their food to the mouth like squirrels. From this peculiarity of conformation, the kanguru, G. xix. sp. 15. and Philip's opossum, sp. 16. of the same genus (Mr Kerr observes), ought to have been arranged with this genus of the jerboa; but from a rigid adherence to artificial system, they are by Dr Gmelin ranked with the genus opossum, on account of the number and arrangement of their teeth. See the article DIDELPHIS.
1. The jaculus, or common jerboa, has four toes on all the feet, and a claw in place of a thumb or fifth toe on each fore-foot. The body is somewhat more than seven inches long, and the hind legs and thighs are longer than the body. The upper parts are of a pale tawny colour, and the under parts white: the ears and feet are flesh coloured. The female has eight distantly placed teats. These animals inhabit Egypt, Arabia, Calmuck Tartary, and southern Siberia. They frequent firm hard ground, and fields covered with grass and herbs, where they form burrows of several yards long in a winding direction, leading to a large chamber about half a yard below the surface; and from this a second passage is dug to within a very little of the surface, by which they can escape when threatened with danger. When at rest, they sit with their hind legs bent under their belly, and keep the fore legs so near the throat as hardly to be perceptible. They eat grain and herbage like the hare. Their dispositions are mild, and yet they can never be perfectly tamed. Two that were kept in a house in London burrowed almost through the brick-wall of the room where they were; they came out of their hole at night for food; and when caught were much fatter and sleeker than when confined to their box.
This animal is eaten by the Arabs, who call it the lamb of the children of Israel. It has been particularly noticed and described by Mr Bruce in his Abyssinian Travels*. He says it inhabits the smoothest places of the desert, especially those where the soil is fixed gravel. In this it burrows, and has its hole divided into many apartments. It seems, however, to be afraid of the ground falling in upon it, as it chooses
always to dig under the roots of some bushy plant or shrub. It particularly delights in those places which are frequented by the cerestes or horned viper, though it would appear that the serpent sometimes preyed upon it; for Mr Bruce tells us that he once saw a jerboa taken out of the belly of a female viper big with young, and almost consumed by the digestive powers of the animal. It is a very cleanly creature, and keeps its hair always in excellent order. It jumps about with great agility, in which it is assisted by its long tail, which we should suppose would rather be a hindrance to it. The Arabs of the kingdom of Tripoli in Africa teach their greghounds to hunt the Antelope, by learning them first to catch jerboas; and so agile are the latter, that Mr Bruce has often seen, in a large court-yard or inclosure, the greghound employed a quarter of an hour before he could kill his diminutive adversary; and had he not been well trained, so that he made use of his feet as well as his teeth, he might have killed two antelopes in the time he could have killed one jerboa. This animal is very fat, and the flesh well coloured; the buttocks, thighs, and part of the back, are roasted and eaten by the Arabs, as already mentioned, and taste almost exactly like a young rabbit, but without the strong smell of the latter. It is said, that the flesh dried in the air is very nourishing, and prevents colicness; so that it seems to be endowed also with medicinal qualities. The animal is found in most parts of Arabia and Syria, and in all parts of the southern deserts of Africa; but nowhere in such plenty as in the Cyrenaicum or Pentapolis. In his journey thither, Mr Bruce employed several Arabs, together with his own servants, to kill these animals with sticks, that their skins might not be hurt with shot. Having got them dressed in Syria and Greece, and sewed together, making use of the tail, as in ermine, for the lining of a cloak, he found they had a very good effect, making a finer and glossier appearance the longer they were worn.
Bochart thinks this animal is the Saphon of holy writ, and displays a vast deal of learning on the subject. But this opinion is refuted by Mr Bruce, who observes, that the saphon is gregarious, and builds in rocks; being likewise distinguished for its fecundity, which it supplies by its wisdom; and none of these characters apply to the jerboa: "therefore (says Mr Bruce) though he chews the cud in common with some others, and was in great plenty in Judea, so as to be known to Solomon, yet he cannot be the saphon of Scripture." He supposes with great probability, that it is the creature termed the mou'e, Isa. lxvi. 17.; and says that in the Arabic version the word is expressly translated jerboa. See the article SAPHON.
2. The fagitta, or Arabian jerboa, has three toes on the hind feet, and no thumb or fifth toe on the fore-paws. It is only about six inches long, and the tail rather shorter than the body; the soles of the hind feet and bottom of the toes are covered with a very thick coat of hair; the head is more rounded than that of the preceding animal, and the ears are much longer than the head. It inhabits Arabia, and near the Irith in Siberia, where it frequents the sandy plains.
The two following are distinguished as different species by Mr Pennant, though Dr Gmelin seems not to have considered them as distinct from the preceding.
A. The gypticus, or Egyptian jerboa, has three toes only on the hind feet; and four toes, with a scarcely apparent thumb or fifth toe, furnished with a claw, on the fore-paws.
This animal Mr Pennant supposes to be the mus bipes of the ancients, mus sagitta of Pallas, jerbo of Buffon, and daman Israel of the Arabs. He says, that it inhabits Egypt, Barbary, Palestine, the deserts between Baferm and Aleppo, the sandy tracks between the Don and Volga, and the hills south of the Itish.
B. The sibiricus, or Siberian jerboa, with three toes on the hind feet, and two spurious toes some way up the legs; five toes on the fore feet, the thumb or fifth toe having no nail. Of this species Mr Pennant distinguishes four varieties, the major, medius, minor, and pumilio; differing in size, colour, &c. But they all (he says) agree in manners. They burrow in hard ground, clay, or indurated mud; not only in high and dry spots, but even in low and salt places. They dig their holes with great celerity, not only with their fore-paws but with their teeth, and flinging the earth back with their hind feet so as to form a heap at the entrance. The burrows are many yards long, but not above half a yard deep. These run obliquely; and end in a large space or nest, the receptacle of the finest herbs. They have usually but one entrance; yet by a wonderful sagacity they work from their nest another passage to within a very small space of the surface, which in case of necessity they can burst through, and so escape.
They sleep rolled up with their head between their thighs: At sun-set they come out of their holes, clear them of the filth, and keep abroad till the sun has drawn up the dews from the earth. On approach of any danger, they immediately take to flight, with leaps of a fathom in height, and so swiftly that a man well mounted can hardly overtake them. They spring so nimbly, that it is impossible to see their feet touch the ground. They do not go straight forward, but turn here and there till they gain a burrow, whether it is their own or that of another. When surprised, they will sometimes go on all fours, but soon recover their attitude of standing on their hind legs like a bird: even when undisturbed, they use the former attitude; then rise erect, listen, and hop about like a crow. In digging or eating they drop on their fore legs; but in the last action will often sit up and eat like a squirrel. They are easily tamed; and seek always a warm corner. They foretell cold or bad weather by wrapping themselves close up in hay; and those which are at liberty stop up the mouths of their burrows. In a wild state they live much on oleaceous plants: the small stature of the pumilio is attributed to its feeding on saline plants. Those of the middle size, which live beyond the lake Baikal, feed on the bulbs of the lilium pomponium, and they gnaw the twigs of the robinia caryata. When confined, they will not refuse raw meat or the entrails of fowls. — They are the prey of all lesser rapacious beasts; and the Arabs, who are forbidden all other kinds of mice, esteem these the greatest delicacies. The Mongols have a notion that they suck the sheep: certain it is they are during night very frequent among the flocks, which they disturb by their leaps. These animals breed often in the summer; in the southern parts in
the beginning of May; beyond Baikal not till June. They bring perhaps eight at a time, as they have so many teats. They sleep the whole winter without nutriment. About Astracan, they will sometimes appear in a warm day in February; but return to their holes on the return of cold.
3. The cafer, or Cape jerboa, has four toes on the hind-feet and five on the paws; the tail is very hairy, and tipped with black. — This species, which inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, is larger than any of the foregoing, being 14 inches long, the tail 15, the ears three. It is called aerdmunnetic, or little earth man, and springen haas, or leaping hare, by the Dutch at the Cape. It has a grunting voice; is very strong, and leaps 20 or 30 feet at one bound. It burrows with its fore feet; and sleeps sitting on its hind legs, with the knees separated, the head between, and holding its ears with the fore-paws over its eyes. It is eaten by the natives; and is caught by pouring water into its hole, which forces it to come out.
4. The meridianus, Caspian jerboa, or long-legged mouse, has five toes behind and three before, with the rudiments of a thumb or inner toe. It is five inches long, and the tail three. — This species inhabits the sandy deserts between the Ural and Volga, near the Caspian. — It forms burrows, with three entrances, about a yard in depth; and feeds chiefly on the seeds of the pterococci and astragalii.
5. The lamacinus, or marsh jerboa, has five toes behind and three before, with the rudiments of a fourth; the tail is obscurely annulated. The body and head measure about five inches and a half in length; the tail is about the same length. — This species inhabits the salt marshes near the Caspian sea; and is supposed to feed on the fruit of the tamarix and nitarium, which grow in these marshes. Under the roots of these trees it forms very deep burrows, which have two entrances. It is a very elegant little animal. There are two or three other species of this genus.
IV. The Cavia, or Cavy; a genus which seems to hold a middle place between the murine and the leporine quadrupeds. The characters are: there are two wedge-like cutting teeth in each jaw, and eight grinders in both jaws: the fore-feet are furnished with four or five toes: the hind-feet with three, four, or five each: the tail is either very short or entirely wanting: there are no clavicles or collar-bones.
1. The paca, or spotted cavy, has five toes on all the feet; and the sides are marked with rows of grey or pale yellow spots. The body and head measure about two feet in length; the tail is like a small buttoa, and so extremely short as to be hardly apparent; the mouth is very small, and the upper lip is divided; the nostrils are very large, and the muzzle is garnished with long whiskers; the ears are short and roundish; the eyes are large, prominent, and brownish; the two cutting teeth in each jaw are very long and of great strength; the hind legs are longer than the fore. — This species inhabits Brasil, Guiana, and probably all the warmer parts of America. It lives in fenny places near rivers, burrowing in the ground, and keeping its hole exceedingly clean, to which it has always three distinct outlets: It grows very fat, and is esteemed a great delicacy. The female has
two teats situated between the hind-thighs, and has only a single young one at a litter.—It is difficult to take this animal alive. When surprised in its hole, which the hunters lay open both before and behind, it defends itself, and even bites fiercely.—It is, however, easily accustomed to a domestic life. Unless industriously irritated, it is gentle and tractable, fond of adulation, and licks the hands of the person who caresses it. It knows those who take care of it, and readily distinguishes their voices. When gently stroked on the back, it stretches itself out, lies down on its belly, by a small cry expresses its acknowledgement, and seems to ask a continuance of the favour: but if seized in a rough manner, it makes very violent efforts to escape. When kept in a wooden cage or box, this animal remains perfectly tranquil during the day, especially when plentifully supplied with food. It seems even to have an affection for its retreat as long as the day lasts; for, after feeding, it retires spontaneously into it. But when night approaches, by perpetual restlessness and agitation, and by tearing the bars of its prison with its teeth, it discovers a violent desire of getting out. Nothing of this kind happens during the day, unless it has occasion for some natural evacuation; for it cannot endure the smallest degree of distress in its little apartment; and when about to void its excrements, always retires to the most distant corner it can find. When its straw begins to smell, it often throws it out, as if it meant to demand fresh litter. This old straw it pushes out with its muzzle, and goes in quest of rags or paper to replace it. In a female cavy, the following extraordinary instance of cleanliness was observed. A large male rabbit being shut up with her when she was in season, she took an aversion to him the moment he voided his excrement in their common apartment. Before this she was very fond of him; licked his nose, ears, and body; and allowed him to take almost the whole food that was given her. But as soon as the rabbit had infected the cage with his ordure, she retired into the bottom of an old pews, where she made a bed with paper and rags, and returned not to her old lodging till she saw it neat, and freed from the unclean guest which had been presented to her.
2. The agouti, which is about the size of a rabbit, has a very short tail; four toes on the fore feet, and three on the hind ones; the upper parts of the body of a brownish colour mixed with red and black, the rump orange, and the belly yellowish. Of this species there are three varieties mentioned by authors, viz. the lesser cunicularis or long-nosed cavy, which is about the size of a rabbit; the leporina or larger rabbit, called the javan hare, or javan cavy, which is as large as a hare; and the americana, which seems to be but little known. They all inhabit South America and the West India islands; dwelling in hollow trees, or burrowing in the ground. They search for their food, which is entirely vegetable, during the day, and carry it home with them to their dwellings: when feeding they sit on their hind legs, and carry their food with the fore-paws to the mouth. They grow very fat, and are very good eating, their flesh being white and favoury like that of a rabbit. They breed frequently in the same year, the female bringing three, four, or five young ones at a birth. They
Plate
CCCXVII.
fig. 10. 21.
grunt like pigs, are very voracious, and when fat, their flesh is white like that of a rabbit, but dry. What food they cannot immediately consume they hoard in their retreats, and eat at their leisure. Their pace is hopping like that of a hare or rabbit; they beat the ground like them with their feet, when angry; they stop and listen to the sound of music; and they take shelter, when pursued, in their holes, or in hollow trees.—They are hunted with dogs. When one of them is forced among the cut sugar canes, he is soon taken; because these grounds being generally covered a foot thick with straw and leaves, at each leap he sinks in this litter, so that a man may overtake and fly him with a baton. He commonly runs very nimbly before the dogs; and when he gains his retreat, he lies squat, and remains obliquely in his concealment. The hunters are obliged to chase him out by filling his hole with smoke. The animal, half suffocated, utters mournful cries; but never issues forth unless when pushed to the last extremity. His cry, which he often repeats when disturbed or irritated, resembles that of a small hog. If taken young, he is easily tamed, and goes out and returns of his own accord.
3. The cobaya, or restless cavy, has four toes on the fore and three on the hind-feet, with no tail: it is about seven inches in length; and the whole body is white, usually variegated with irregular orange and black blotches. This species inhabits Brazil; but its manners in a wild state are not mentioned by authors. In a domestic state, as they appear in Europe, they are very restless, and make a continual noise.—They feed on all kinds of herbs; but especially on parsley, which they prefer to grain or bread; and they are likewise fond of apples and other fruits. They eat precipitately like the rabbit, little at a time, but very often. Buffon says they never drink; but Gmelin, that they drink water. Their voice is commonly a kind of grunt like a young pig; when engaged in their amours, it resembles the chirp of a bird; and when hurt, they emit a sharp cry. They are of a tame and gentle, but stupid disposition. The female breeds at two months old, bringing from four or five to ten or twelve young ones at a birth, though she has only two teats; and breeds very often during the year, as she goes but three weeks with young, and takes the male 12 or 15 days after littering. As they breed so fast, their multitudes would be innumerable, if there were not so many enemies which destroy them. They cannot resist either cold or moisture: when cold, they assemble and crowd close together; in which case they often all perish together. They are also devoured in great numbers by cats, and many are killed by the males. Rats are said to avoid their haunts. They are called in England Guinea-pigs, from their being supposed to come from that country.
4. The magellanica, or Patagonian cavy, has hardly any tail; the sides of the nose are garnished with tufts of curly hair and long numerous whiskers. This species inhabits the country about Port Desire in Patagonia, and is of considerable size, sometimes weighing 26 pounds. It has the same manners with the rest of the genus; it sits on its hind legs, burrows in the ground, and feeds on vegetables. The flesh is very white, and has an excellent flavour.
5. The capybara, or thick-nosed tapir, has no tail; the hind feet have each three webbed toes. The length of the animal, when full grown, is above two feet and a half; the head and nose are very large and thick; having small, erect, rounded, naked ears, and large black eyes; and the nose is garnished with numerous black whiskers; in each jaw are two large strong fore-teeth, and eight grinders; the legs are short, having the toes connected by a web, and their extremities are guarded with a kind of hoofs instead of claws; the neck is short and thick; the hair is short, rough, and harsh, like bristles, being longest on the back, and most of them are yellowish in the middle and black at both ends.—This species inhabits the eastern side of South America, from the isthmus of Darien to Brasil and Paraguay; living in fenny woods near the large rivers, such as the Amazons, Oronoko, and Plata. They swim and dive remarkably well, and keep for a long time under water. They catch fish at night with great dexterity, and bring them on shore to eat them; which they do sitting on the hind legs, and holding the food in the fore-paws like the apes. They likewise live on fruits and vegetables, especially the sugar cane, and feed only in the night. They keep together in large herds, making a great noise like the braying of asses, and do vast mischief in gardens. They grow very fat; and the flesh is eaten, being tender, but has an oily and fishy flavour. In the breeding season, one male and one female live together, and the female only produces a single one at a birth. These animals are easily rendered tame, and become very familiar.
6. The acouchy, or olive cavy, has a short tail; the upper parts of the body are of an olive colour, the under parts whitish. This species inhabits Guiana, Cayenne, and Brasil.—It is about the size of an half-grown rabbit, is easily tamed, and is reckoned very delicate food. The female brings one, sometimes two, at a litter. This animal resembles the agouti, but is uniformly smaller, has a tail of some length, and is of a different colour. It inhabits the woods, living on fruits; abhors water; and sometimes, though rarely, makes a cry like that of the redless cavy.
There are five or six other species described by authors as belonging to the cavy genus. Two of them, however, have been lately marked by Dr Gmelin under a new genus, Hyrax; which, as there was not an opportunity of introducing it in the order of the alphabet, we shall here subjoin, together with the descriptions of the species as given by Mr Kerr.
V. HYRAX, or ashkoko. There are two broad and dilant fore-teeth above; four contiguous, broad, flat, notched fore-teeth below; and four large grinders on each side in both jaws. The fore feet have four toes, the hind feet only three. There is no tail; and the claws are wanting.
1. The capensis, or cape ashkoko, "has flat nails on all the toes, except one toe of each hind foot which is armed with a sharp pointed claw. It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope.—This animal is about the size of a rabbit, being about 15 inches long; the head is short, with the back part very thick, and the snout very short and blunt; the eyes are small; the ears are oval and open, brown, woolly, and half hid in the fur; the legs are very short, the upper joints of
both being concealed beneath the skin; the hind legs are rather longer than the fore; the feet are large, black, and naked; the body is short, thick, and contracted, with a prominent belly, and is covered with a soft woolly fur of a yellowish brown or greyish colour, hoary at the roots; the sides are of a dirty whitish grey; and along the back is a brownish stripe: this fur is interpersed with longer and coarser, black hairs, and a few very coarse long bristles. The fore-feet have four short, scarce divided, thick toes, furnished with flat nails; the two outer toes of the hind-feet are similar, but the inner toe is longer, and has a sharp claw. This animal has a sharp voice, and acute sense of hearing; its gait is very wavering and unsteady, owing to the shortness of its thighs and unequal length of the hind and fore legs; notwithstanding of which it is very active, and moves by leaps: it is very cleanly, lives entirely on vegetable food, drinks little, is fond of heat, and burrows in the ground. In manners and general appearance, this animal resembles the marmot and cavy; in the conformation of its toes it has some analogy with the manecuco; but from the circumstances of the teeth it cannot be ranked with the last; and the peculiarity of the feet has caused Dr Gmelin to separate it from both of the former."
2. The syriacus, or Syrian ashkoko, (Bruce, Schreber), "has soft tender nails on all the toes. It inhabits Syria and Ethiopia.—The body of this is more lengthened than that of the former, and the snout more oblong. The fur is of a reddish grey colour like that of the wild rabbit, the throat, breast, and belly, being white; all over the body a number of long, strong, and polished hairs are scattered among the fur. The body and head of the individual described by Mr Bruce measured 17 inches. The ears are broad, open, and rounded; each side of the mouth is garnished with long whiskers. In walking, which is performed creeping low with the belly almost touching the ground, the hind feet are used as far as the heel. All the toes have short, broad, weak, flat nails, except the inner toe of the hind foot, which is provided with a flat crooked nail somewhat longer than the rest; the soles of the feet are formed of fleshy naked protuberances, divided by furrows. It lives mostly about the mouths of caves or clefts in rocks; is gregarious; feeds entirely on vegetables; is mild, feeble, timid, and easily tamed, and has no voice or cry. Mr Bruce is of opinion, that this animal is the gannim or Daman Israel of the Arabs, and the saphan of sacred scriptures, which has erroneously been translated the rabbit.—Its flesh is very white, but is not eaten by the Abyssinians or Mahometans. The same celebrated traveller is of opinion, that it ruminates or chews the cud."