Guide to the Calcutta Zoological Gardens Author:John Anderson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: mistaken for the mouth of the animal. The use of this curious provision is yet unknown. This feature in the anatomy of the Cavy gives its name to the genus, Cczl... more »ogenys which means hollow-cheeked. It will also be observed that the tail is only indicated by a very slight prominence. In its habits it is strictly nocturnal, and it is, therefore, usually found in its box during the day. It is also a burrower, constructing superficial chambers, each of which, it is said, has three openings, and the localities which it selects are, as a rule, in forests, close to water in which it swims and dives with facility. Its food is entirely vegetable, and it is very fond of sugar-cane, but it does not refuse animal food when in confinement. It is distributed all over the Eastern portion of South America, and formerly occurred in some of the islands of the West Indies. Its flesh is highly esteemed. The Viscacha, also a South American rodent, will be found in the adjoining compartment. It has somewhat the general characters of a hare, but with a heavier head and body, and a much longer, and tufted tail. It is known as Lagostomus trichodactylus. It is restricted to the Eastern slopes of the Andes, and Darwin gives the following account of its habits : he says that in the evening they come out of their holes in great numbers, and then sit quietly on their haunches. They are at such times very tame, and a man on horseback 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 singularhabit; namely, dragging ever...« less