. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE MARA. 475 ities when it is once placed in an enclosure and furnished with regular food. It appears hardly to be capable of distinguishing kindness from cruelty, and displays but little emotion at the presence of the person who brings its daily food. It is naturally a gentle creature, and when captured will not attempt to bite the hand that seizes it, but only gives vent to a piteous squeak as it feels itself made a prisoner. The flesh of the Agouti is white and good-flavored, and is
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE MARA. 475 ities when it is once placed in an enclosure and furnished with regular food. It appears hardly to be capable of distinguishing kindness from cruelty, and displays but little emotion at the presence of the person who brings its daily food. It is naturally a gentle creature, and when captured will not attempt to bite the hand that seizes it, but only gives vent to a piteous squeak as it feels itself made a prisoner. The flesh of the Agouti is white and good-flavored, and is thought to resemble a mixture of the hare and rabbit. In some countries which it inhabits it is commonly eaten, while in others a prejudice prevails against its use as an article of diet. The name, Dasyprocta, which has been given to the genus, refers to the thick hair which falls over the hind quarters, and nearly conceals the little pointed stump of a tail. The hair. MARA.—Dolichotis patachbnica. of this part of the body is a bright golden-brown, but on the back and sides the fur has a curious speckled aspect, on account of the black, brown, and yellow tints with which each hair is marked. On the greater part of the body the fur is only about one inch in length, but the golden-brown hair of the hinder parts is more than four inches long. In character it is coarse, though glossy. Though all the species are furnished with powerful claws, the Agouti is incapable of climbing trees or digging burrows. It is said to have some idea of laying up provisions, and to hide any superabundance of food in some place of concealment. In size it equals the common rabbit, but does not equal the hare. Between the agoutis and the pacas is placed the Mara, or Patagonian Cavy, as it is sometimes called, an animal which is remarkably swift for a short distance, but is so easily fatigued that it can be run down by a man on horseback. It is more tamable than the agouti, and is often kept in a state
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
