. The popular natural history . Zoology. AGOUTI.—{Dasyprocta Agouti.') Antilles, where it formerly swarmed, it is now nearly extirpated, and in St. Domingo is but rarely seen. All its movements are sharp, quick, and active, and even while sitting upright and engaged in feeding itself by the assistance of its fore-paws, its head is continually being turned from side to side, and its bright eyes glance in every direction in order to guard against a surprise. As it is a nocturnal animal, and spends the whole of the day in its dark hiding-place, its ravages take place under cover of night, and are
. The popular natural history . Zoology. AGOUTI.—{Dasyprocta Agouti.') Antilles, where it formerly swarmed, it is now nearly extirpated, and in St. Domingo is but rarely seen. All its movements are sharp, quick, and active, and even while sitting upright and engaged in feeding itself by the assistance of its fore-paws, its head is continually being turned from side to side, and its bright eyes glance in every direction in order to guard against a surprise. As it is a nocturnal animal, and spends the whole of the day in its dark hiding-place, its ravages take place under cover of night, and are the more difficult to be repelled. Its usual restmg place is in the cleft of a rock, or in the hollow of some decaying tree, where twenty 01 thirty cf these animals may be found living ami- cably together. In these dark recesses the young Agoutis are born, and are laid upon a soft bed of leaves, where they remain for a few weeks, and then sally out with their parents on their nocturnal expedition. There are generally two broods in each year, and the number of young at a birth is from three ;o six. 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 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 bla:ck, brown, and yellow tints with which each hair is On the greater part of the body the fur is only about one inch in length, but ths golden brown hair of the hinder parts is more than four inches long. In character it is coarse, though glossy. The Capybara is a native of tropical America, and is by far the largest of all the hving rodent animals, rather exceeding three feel in total length, and being so bulkily made that when it walks its abdomen nearly touches the ground. The muzzle of this animal is heavy and blunt, the eyes are set high in the head and ar
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
