Chapter II: Part 2

The predominant colours of the body are black and white; the limbs are
of a fulvous hue externally. The hairs on the under part of the
feet are dirty brown; the fore part of the anterior legs, and the
feet, are of a buff colour; on the former, the hairs are more or
less distinctly tipped with black, which produces a grizzled
appearance. The inner side of the fore legs is of an uniform pale
buff colour; the hinder part of these legs, the fore part of the
posterior legs, and the inner side of the thighs, are white. On
the outer side of the hinder legs, at some little distance above
the heel, is a large blackish patch. The under parts of the body
are of a dirty white hue, arising from the hairs being dusky or
brownish at the base, and tipped with white, as on the fore part
of the belly, or of a pale buff colour at the base, as towards the
rump. The edge of the upper lip, the throat, neck, and chest, are
white; a broad grayish band extends across the latter, and another
of a paler hue crosses the lower part of the neck. The chin is
black, and this colour is extended backwards around the angle of
the mouth. The upper part of the head is of a pale yellow-brown
colour, each hair being annulated with white near the apex. The
ears are furnished with white hairs internally, and externally
they are of a yellowish brown colour, tipped with black; at the
base of the ears, and the portion of the neck on each side nearest
to them, the hairs are of an uniform buff colour. The hairs of the
moustaches are long and stiff, and of a black colour. The hairs of
the back, which are very long, are brown at the base, very pale
towards the skin, and of a deep brown in the opposite direction;
each hair is then white, and at the apex black. The tail is
whitish, mottled with black; the apical portion is black, and
there is a patch of the same colour towards the base on the upper
side.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 27 6
to base of ear 5 9
of tail (hair included) 14 6
of ear 3 2
Height of body at the shoulders 14 0

Habitat, La Plata, Patagonia, and Chile.

The black and white portions of the hairs on the back produce in that part a mottled appearance, and in the specimen from which the above description is taken, these two colours are about equal in proportion. In another specimen now before me, the black colour predominates on the back. The fur in the younger animals of this species is not so long nor so harsh, and the upper parts are grizzled with black and white; that is to say, these two colours do not form patches of considerable extent as in the adults; the general colouring is also somewhat paler. The chin is brown-black or brown, instead of black, and the upper band, or that, which in the adult extends across the upper part of the neck, is interrupted in the middle; in fact, is only traceable on the _sides_ of the neck.

Azara, in his description of the Agouarachay, says, the muzzle, as far back as the eyes, is blackish; whereas, in all the specimens examined by me, the muzzle is of the same colour as the other parts of the head, or _very_ nearly so. In other respects his description agrees with the animal described by me, and _not_ with the _Canis cinereo-argentatus_, which Desmarest and Lesson suppose to be the Agouarachay of Azara. In Fischer’s “_Synopsis Mammalium_” the _Canis Azaræ_ is described as having the tip of the tail white; whereas it is black, not only in the five specimens which have come under my notice, but also in those in the collection of Prince Maximilian[9] (who was the original describer) and in the Paris Museum.

“This animal has a wide range; Prince Maximilian brought specimens from Brazil; and it is common in La Plata, Chile, the whole of Patagonia, even to the shores of the Strait of Magellan; and a fox, which lives on the small islands not far from Cape Horn, probably belongs to this species. This animal generally frequents desert places; I saw many in the valley of the Despoblado, a branch of that of Copiapó, where there is no fresh water, and where, with the exception of some small rodents, (the constant inhabitants of sterile regions) scarcely any other animal could exist. I saw also very many of these foxes wandering about by day (although Azara says they are nocturnal in Paraguay) on the plains of Santa Cruz, where various kinds of mice are abundant, and likewise around the Sierra Ventana. In the course of one day’s ride in this latter neighbourhood, (not far from Bahia Blanca, lat. 39° S.) I should think I saw between thirty and forty. They generally were wandering at no great distance from their burrows; but, as they are not very swift animals, our dogs caught two. Azara states that in Paraguay this fox, which he calls the Agourá-chay, inhabits thick woods, and that it makes a great nest or pile of straw, to lie on; but that near Buenos Ayres it uses the holes of the Bizcacha. Further southward, where the Bizcacha is not found, it certainly excavates its own burrow.[10] In Chile these foxes are very destructive to the vineyards, from the quantity of grapes they consume; so that boys are generally kept in the vintage season with bells and other means to frighten them away. Azara states, that in Paraguay they likewise eat fruit and sugarcane. By the same authority it is said, that the Agourá-chay, when taken young, is easily domesticated.”—D.

1. FELIS YAGOUAROUNDI.
PLATE VIII.

Felis Yagouaroundi, _Desmarest_, Mammologie, p. 230.

Yagouaroundi, _Azara_, Essais sur l’histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes
de la Province du Paraguay, tom. i. p. 171.

Felis Darwinii, _Martin_, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of
London, 1837, p. 3.

_F. vellere brevi, adpresso, purpurascenti-fusco; pilis flavescente
annulatis; pedibus nigro lavatis; caudâ longissimâ; auribus
parvulis._

DESCRIPTION.—The fur is rather harsh, short, and somewhat adpressed:
the under fur is of a pale grayish brown colour; the hairs which
constitute the chief clothing of the animal, are black, annulated
with brownish yellow, or in some parts, yellow-white, each hair
having about three or four rings. The black and pale colours are
about equal in proportion, and their mixture produces a deep brown
tint, which is almost uniform throughout the body and limbs. On
the head the yellowish colour predominates over the black,
excepting on the tip of the muzzle, and thence back to the eye,
where the hairs are of a brownish black colour. On the throat the
hairs are brown. The underside of the tarsus is black, and on the
outer side of the fore foot there is a black mark which extends
upwards on to the wrist. The tail is long and bushy; towards and
on the base, the hairs are annulated with black and yellow, like
those of the body; but beyond this they are of a more uniform
colour, each hair being brown at the base, and gradually shaded
into black towards the tip. The ears are small and rounded, and
covered with hairs of the same colour as those on the head. The
claws are of a large size, and white colour; the toes are united
for a considerable portion of their length by the interdigital
membrane.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 25 0
to base of ear 3 6
of tail (hairs included) 19 0
of ear 1 0
Height of body at shoulders 12 0

Habitat, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (_May._)

“This cat was given me by an old Portuguese priest, who had hunted it down in a thick forest with a small pack of dogs, after a severe chase. It was killed near the Gavia mountain, at the distance of a few miles only from Rio de Janeiro, where it was considered uncommon.” D. Although small, compared with the Puma, (_Felis concolor_, Auct.), this cat, in its slender lengthened body, small head, long tail, and stout limbs, decidedly evinces an affinity to that species. According to the dimensions of the Yagouaroundi given by Azara, Desmarest, and Temminck, it appears that the tail is considerably shorter in proportion in the specimens examined by those naturalists, than in the present individual, and the difference was such, as to induce Mr. Martin to believe that the latter was a distinct species; he accordingly proposed for it the specific name of _Darwinii_. At the time that Mr. Martin described the specimen alluded to, I was also inclined to believe it was a distinct species. I mention this because I am afraid my opinion had a slight share in influencing Mr. Martin’s determination. I have since seen many specimens, and upon comparing their dimensions, I find that the proportionate length of the tail varies more than is usual in other species of cats, and that the difference in the length in this member is not combined with any other distinguishing character. In colouring there is also a considerable variation, some specimens being almost black, and having the hairs but obscurely annulated with white; in others, the hairs are more distinctly annulated, and the head assumes a grayish hue. Others again, are brown, or black brown, having the hairs annulated with yellow. The following are the dimensions of two specimens in the Paris museum, and those given by the authors above alluded to.[11]

_Paris M._ _Paris M._ _Desmarest._ _Temminck._ _Azara._
In. Lines. In. Lines. In. Lines. In. Lines. In. Lines.
Length from
nose
to
root
of
tail 30 6 28 0 23 0 30 0 36 9
of
tail 24 0 17 0 13 9 22 0 13 9

2. FELIS PAJEROS.
PLATE IX.

Chat Pampa, _Azara_, Essais sur l’histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes
du Paraguay. Traduct. Franç. tom. 1. p. 179.

Felis Pajeros, _Desmarest_, Mammologie, p. 231.

_F. vellere longissimo, flavescenti-griseo, fasciis flavescenti-fuscis
indistinctè et sublongitudinalitèr notato; pedibus annulis latis
nigris; abdomine maculis magnis nigris; mento albo; caudâ brevi;
auribus mediocribus, ad apicem externum nigris._

DESCRIPTION.—The Pampas cat is about equal in size to the common wild
cat of Europe (_Felis Catus_, Linn.). It is however of a stouter
form than that animal, the head is smaller, and the tail is
shorter.

The most remarkable character in this species consists in the great
length of the fur,—the longer hairs on the back measuring upwards
of three inches, and those on the hinder part of the back, are
from four and a half, to four and three quarter inches in length.
The general colour of the fur is pale yellow-gray. Numerous
irregular yellow, or sometimes brown stripes run in an oblique
manner from the back along the sides of the body. On each side of
the face there are two stripes of a yellowish or cinnamon colour:
these stripes commence near the eye, extend backwards and
downwards over the cheeks, on the hinder part of which they join
and form a single line, which encircles the lower part of the
throat. The tip of the muzzle and the chin are white, and there is
a spot in front of the eye, and a line beneath the eye, of the
same colour: the belly and the inner side and hinder part of the
fore legs are also white. An irregular black line runs across the
lower part of the chest and extends over the base of the fore legs
externally, and above this line there are two other transverse
dark markings on the chest, which are more or less defined. On the
fore legs there are three broad black bands, two of which encircle
the leg, and on the posterior legs there are about five black
bands externally, and some irregular dark spots internally. The
feet are yellowish, and the underside of the tarsus is of a
slightly deeper hue. On the belly there are numerous large
irregular black spots. The ears are of moderate size, furnished
internally with long white hairs; externally, the ears are of the
same colour as the head, excepting at the apex where the hairs are
black and form a slight tuft. The tail is short, somewhat bushy,
and devoid of dark rings or spots—the hairs are in fact coloured
as those of the back of the animal. On the upper part of the body
each hair is brown at the base, then yellow, and at the apex,
black. On the hinder part of the back the hairs are almost black
at the base, and on the sides of the body each hair is gray at the
base; there is then a considerable space of yellowish white
colour; towards the apex they are white, and at the apex black.
The greater number of the hairs of the moustaches are white.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 26 0
to base of ear 3 6
of tail (fur included) 11 0
of ear 1 11
Height of body at shoulders 13 0

Habitat, Santa Cruz, Patagonia, (_April_,) and Bahia Blanca,
(_August_).

The markings in this animal vary slightly in intensity; those on the body are generally indistinct, but the black rings on the legs are always very conspicuous.

“This animal takes its name from ‘paja,’ the Spanish word for straw, from its habit of frequenting reeds. It is common over the whole of the great plains, which compose the eastern side of the southern part of America. According to Azara, it extends northward as far as latitude 30°, and to the south, I have reason to believe, from the accounts I have received, that it is found near the Strait of Magellan, which would give it a range of nearly 1400 miles, in a north and south line. One of my specimens was obtained, in 50° south, at Santa Cruz: it was met with in a valley, where a few thickets were growing. When disturbed, it did not run away, but drew itself up, and hissed. My other specimen was half-grown, and was killed in the end of August, at Bahia Blanca.”—D.

3. FELIS DOMESTICA.

Felis domestica, _Brisson_, Reg. Anim. p. 264.

I find in Mr. Darwin’s collection a cat, the colouring and proportions of which, convince me that its origin is from the domestic cat, as however it was shot in a wild state far from any house, a description may, perhaps, prove useful. Its general colour is deep gray, and the body is adorned with numerous irregular narrow black bands; there is a broad black mark, formed of confluent spots, along the middle of the back, which commences a little behind the shoulders; a considerable space around the angles of the mouth, the chin, throat, central portion of the chest, fore feet, toes of the hinder feet, and the posterior portion of the belly, are white; a black line extends backwards from the posterior angle of the eye, on to the cheeks; thence, across the throat, there are two lines: the space between the eye is chiefly occupied with white hairs: the tail is slender, and tapers towards the apex; the basal half is gray with black rings, and the apical half is black, excepting the extreme point, which is white: the tarsus is black beneath: the legs are of a deep gray colour, banded with black externally.

To the dimensions I will add those of a domestic cat which in colour and markings very closely resembles the animal above described. I may add that I have chosen a cat rather above the ordinary size for my comparison, yet it will be seen that the wild cat has the advantage in bulk.

Wild Cat. Domestic Cat.
In. Lines. In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 22 0 19 0
of tail 12 3 11 6
of tarsus 5 1 4 7
of ear 1 11
Height at shoulders 11 3

Habitat, Maldonado, La Plata, (_May._)

“This animal was killed amongst some thickets on a rocky hill a few miles from Maldonado. It appeared, when dead, much larger and stronger than any domestic cat I ever saw, and it was described to me as having been exceedingly fierce. I mention this because M. Temminck supposes that the domesticated varieties of all animals are of larger size, than the wild stock from which they are descended.”—D.[12]

GALLICTIS VITTATA.

Gallictis vittata, _Bell_, Zoological Journal, vol. ii. p. 551–2.

——, „ Proceedings of the Zoological Society, for April, 1837, p. 39.

Gulo vittatus, _Desmarest_, Mamm. p. 175.

“This animal is not uncommon at Maldonado, where it is called “_Huron_” or thief, from the ravages it commits on eggs and poultry. Shortly after being killed this specimen weighed 1 lb. 8 oz. (Imp. weight).”—D.

1. LUTRA PLATENSIS.

_L. vellere nitido, adpresso, intensè fusco; corpore subtùs
pallidiore; gutture ad latera, et subtùs, pallidè fusco;
mento rostrique apice sordidè flavescenti-albis; pedibus
nigrescenti-fuscis; pilis caudæ supernè brevioribus, adpressis,
illis ad caudæ latera longioribus et fimbriam efficientibus._

DESCRIPTION.—This Otter is about equal in size to the common European
species (_Lutra vulgaris_, Auct.): its fur is short, glossy, and
adpressed; the under fur is tolerably abundant and of a silky
nature. The general colouring of the ordinary fur is deep brown,
and that of the under fur is very pale brown, deeper externally.
The tint of the under parts of the body is paler than the upper,
and may be described as brown, that of the throat, sides and under
part of the neck, pale brown; and, on the tip of the muzzle and
chin, dirty yellowish white. The hairs of the moustaches are
brownish-white; the ears are covered with short deep brown hairs,
those towards the tip are paler. The hairs covering the feet above
are short, and of a very deep brown colour. The tail is tolerably
long, thick at the base, whence it gradually tapers to the apex.
The hairs on the base of the tail resemble those of the body, but
on the remaining portion, they are short, glossy, and very closely
applied to the skin both on the upper and under surface, whereas
those on the sides are longer, and form a kind of fringe. The tip
of the muzzle and the soles of the feet are naked, with the
exception of the hinder half of the tarsus.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 28 0
of tail 18 0

Habitat, La Plata, (_July_.)

The La Plata Otter in its general colouring is of a somewhat deeper hue than the European species, the cheeks and throat instead of being nearly white are of a pale brown colour; the tail is longer in proportion, and tapers more gradually; the tip of the muzzle is naked, but the hairless portion is less than in that species, the boundary line between the naked part and the hair of the top of the muzzle forming almost a semicircle; the retiring extremities of this line touch the posterior angle of the nostril on each side, whereas in the common otter the boundary line of the hair of the muzzle is of a ｗ-like form. The skull is figured in Plate 35, figs. 4, _a_, _b_, _c_, and _d_, and is compared with that of _L. Chilensis_ in the next description.

“This specimen was killed by some fishermen a few miles from Maldonado, near the mouth of the estuary of the Plata, where the water is quite salt. I am not, however, by any means sure that it may not be a fresh-water species, which had wandered from its proper station; in the same manner as not unfrequently is the case with the _Hydrochærus Capybara_. I am indebted to Mr. Chaffers, the master of the Beagle, for having kindly presented me with this specimen.”—D.

2. LUTRA CHILENSIS.

Lutra Chilensis, _Bennett_, Proceedings of the Committee of Science
and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London for 1832, p. 1.

_L. fusca; vellere mediocri, laxo et sub-extante; mento, gulâ, et
faciei lateribus, pallidè fuscis; pedibus saturatè fuscis; corporis
pilis ad apicem pallidè fuscis; caudá mediocri; rostri apice calvo._

DESCRIPTION.—This species scarcely equals a full grown European otter
in size. It is of a brown colour throughout; the cheeks, chin, and
throat, being slightly paler, and the feet of a deeper tint, than
the other parts. The fur is moderately long, rather harsh to the
touch, and semi-erect: the under fur is abundant, and of a soft
and silk nature. The hairs of the ordinary fur are deep brown, but
tipped with a very pale brown colour. The hairs of the tail, like
those of the body, are harsh and semi-erect; towards the apex,
those on the upper and under part are in a slight degree shorter
than those at the sides, and lie closer to the skin; these
differences, however, are not very apparent on the upper side,
though distinct on the under. The feet are naked beneath, with the
exception of the posterior half of the tarsus. The hair of the
muzzle extends only down to the posterior angle of the nostrils,
where it terminates in a straight line, leaving the tip of the
muzzle naked.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 31 0
of tail 14 3

Habitat, Chonos Archipelago, (_January._.)

The Chile Otter was originally described by Mr. Bennett from a specimen presented to the Zoological Society by Mr. Cuming, but as this specimen is a young animal, scarcely half-grown, it does not present some of the characters of the species in so marked a manner as the adult. I have, therefore, availed myself of an adult specimen in Mr. Darwin’s collection, to draw up the above description.

Compared with the Common Otter (_Lutra vulgaris_, Auct.) the most striking difference consists in the character of the fur: the hairs instead of being adpressed as in that species, are here semi-erect, and appear as if they had been clipped at the extremity. The fur is of a deeper colour, but has a slightly grizzled appearance, owing to the tip of each hair being of a much paler colour than the remaining part.

In the young animal described by Mr. Bennett, (which in weight was probably not more than one-third of that of the present animal) the hairs of the body are of an uniform deep brown colour; hence, if I am right in considering Mr. Darwin’s animal as the same species, it would appear that the grizzled character of the fur is dependent on age.

The semi-erect fur will also serve to distinguish the present species from the _Lutra Platensis_; the fur is likewise longer, the tail is shorter, and the feet are smaller in proportion. The most important distinctions, however, are furnished by the skulls; I will, therefore, compare them.

The skull of _L. Chilensis_ compared with that of _L. Platensis_, (Plate 35, figs. 4.) when viewed from above, presents but little difference in general form; it is, however, smaller in all its proportions, and the zygomatic arch is a little less convex: the palate is proportionately shorter; the tympanic bullæ are much smaller, less elevated, and wider apart, in which respect there is a greater approximation to the skull of _L. vulgaris_ than to that of _L. Platensis_; but here, the tympanic bullæ are larger than in _L. Chilensis_. Both in _L. Chilensis_ and _Platensis_, the sub-orbital foramina are kidney-shaped, the emarginated portion being downwards, whilst in _L. vulgaris_ they approach somewhat to a triangular figure, the apex being external. In _L. Chilensis_, however, this foramen is comparatively larger than in _L. Platensis_, and the outer portion of the foramen forms the segment of a larger circle than the inner one, whilst in _L. Platensis_ both portions are equal.

The principal difference in the dentition of the La Plata and the Chile otters, consists in the comparatively smaller size of the posterior molars, both of the upper and lower jaws, of the latter species. In the upper jaw, the “carnassière” has its inner lobe, approaching somewhat to a triangular form, whereas in _L. Platensis_ it is broader and almost semicircular. In the lower jaw, the last molar but one has the inner lobe much smaller than the middle outer lobe, whilst in _L. Platensis_ these two lobes are of nearly equal size and elevation. Other points of dissimilarity will be perceived in the annexed table of admeasurements.

_L. _L.
Chilensis._ Platensis._
In. Lines. In. Lines.
Whole length of skull 3 9¾ 4 2½
Greatest width 2 6⅓ 2 10⅓
Width of skull from the apex of one mastoid
process to the opposite 2 3¼ 2 8¼
Length of palate 1 6 1 10
Breadth of palate between the posterior molars 7¾ 7¾
Length from last molar to posterior margin of
palate 3⅓ 5½
from base of canine to hinder part of
last molar 11⅔ 1 1⅓
of carnassière 5 5⅔
Width of do. 5 6¼
Length of last molar 2¾ 3½
Width of do. 4⅓ 5⅔
Length of ramus of lower jaw 2 4½ 2 8¾
from canine to hinder portion of last
molar (lower jaw) 1 2¼ 1 4¼
of last molar but one (lower jaw) 5¾ 6⅔
Width of do. 2⅔ 3½

“These animals are exceedingly common amongst the innumerable channels and bays, which form the Chonos Archipelago. They may generally be seen quietly swimming, with their heads just out of water, amidst the great entangled beds of kelp, which abound on this coast. They burrow in the ground, within the forest, just above the rocky shore, and I was told, that they sometimes roam about the woods. This otter does not, by any means, live exclusively on fish. One was shot whilst running to its hole with a large volute-shell in its mouth; another (I believe the same species) was seen in Tierra del Fuego devouring a cuttle fish. But in the Chonos Archipelago, perhaps the chief food of this animal, as well as of the immense herds of great seals, and flocks of terns and cormorants, is a red coloured crab (belonging to the family _Macrouri_) of the size of a prawn, which swims near the surface in such dense bodies, that the water appears of a red colour. This specimen weighed nine pounds and a half.”—D.

FAMILY-DELPHINIDÆ.

DELPHINUS FITZ-ROYI.
PLATE X.

_D. suprà niger; capitis corporisque lateribus, corporeque subtùs
niveis; caudâ, pedibus, labioque inferiore, nigris; fasciis
latis duabus per latus utrumque obliquè excurrentibus,
nigréscenti-cinereis, hujusque coloris fasciâ, utrinque ab
angulo oris ad pedem tendente._

DESCRIPTION.—Upper parts of the body black, under parts pure white,
the two blended into each other by gray: extremity of snout, a
ring round the eye, the edge of the under lip, and the tail fin,
black; dorsal and pectoral fins dark gray; a broad gray mark
extends from the angle of the mouth to the pectoral fin; above
which, the white runs through the eye and is blended into gray
over the eye; two broad deep gray bands are extended in an oblique
manner along each side of the body, running from the back
downwards and backwards; iris of eye dark brown. Body anteriorly
somewhat depressed, posteriorly compressed; head conical, arched
above; the lower lip projecting beyond the upper; eye placed above
and behind, but near the angle of the mouth; breathing vent
situated in the same line as the eyes—supposing a circle to be
taken round the head. Teeth slightly curved, and conical; in the
upper jaw twenty-eight in number on each side, and in the lower,
twenty-seven.

Ft. In. Lines.
Total length (measuring along the curve of back) 5 4 0
Length from tip of
muzzle to vent 3 10 9
to dorsal fin 2 6 5
to pectoral 1 4 5
to eye 0 9 9
to breathing aperture
(following curve of head) 0 10 7
to angle of mouth 0 7 9
of dorsal fin along the anterior margin 1 0 5
Height of do. 0 6 4
Length of pectoral, along anterior margin 1 2 8
Width of tail 1 4 5
Girth of
body before dorsal fin 3 0 6
before pectoral fin 2 8 2
before tail fin 0 7 8
of head over the eyes 2 0 0

Habitat, coast of Patagonia, Lat. 42° 30′, (_April_.)

This species, which I have taken the liberty of naming after Captain FitzRoy, the Commander of the Beagle, approaches in some respects to the _Delphinus superciliosus_ of the “Voyage de la Coquille,” but that animal does not possess the oblique dark-gray bands on the sides of the body; it likewise wants the gray mark which extends from the angle of the mouth to the pectoral fins. In the figure the under lip of the _D. superciliosus_ is represented as almost white, whereas in the present species it is black: judging from the figures, there is likewise considerable difference in the form. The figure which illustrates this description agrees with the dimensions, which were carefully taken by Mr. Darwin immediately after the animal was captured, and hence is correct.

“This porpoise, which was a female, was harpooned from the Beagle in the Bay of St. Joseph, out of several, in a large troop, which were sporting round the ship. I am indebted to Captain FitzRoy for having made an excellent coloured drawing of it, when fresh killed, from which the accompanying lithograph has been taken.”—D.

FAMILY—CAMELIDÆ.

AUCHENIA LLAMA. _Desmarest._

Guanaco of the aborigines of Chile.

“The Guanaco abounds over the whole of the temperate parts of South America, from the wooded islands of Tierra del Fuego, through Patagonia, the hilly parts of La Plata, Chile, even to the Cordillera of Peru. I saw several of these animals in Navarin Island, forty miles north of Cape Horn; the Guanaco, therefore, has, with the exception of a fox and mouse, inhabitants of the same island, the most southern range of all American quadrupeds. Although preferring an elevated site, it yields in this respect to its near relative the Vicuña. On the plains of Southern Patagonia, we saw them in greater numbers than in any other part. Generally they go in small herds, from half a dozen to thirty together; but on the banks of the Santa Cruz, we saw one herd, which must have contained at least five hundred. On the northern shores of the Strait of Magellan they are also very numerous. The Guanacoes are generally wild and extremely wary: Mr. Stokes told me, that he one day in Patagonia saw through a glass a herd of these beasts, which evidently had been frightened, and were running away at full speed, although their distance was so great that they could not be distinguished by the naked eye.

“The sportsman frequently receives the first intimation of their presence, by hearing from a long distance their peculiar shrill neighing note of alarm. If he then looks attentively, he will, perhaps, see the herd standing in a line on the side of some distant hill. On approaching, a few more squeals are given, and then off they set, at an apparently slow but really quick canter, along some narrow beaten track to a neighbouring hill. If, however, by chance he should abruptly meet a single animal, or several together, they will generally stand motionless, and intently gaze at him;—then, perhaps, move on a few yards, turn round, and look again. What is the cause of this difference in their shiness? Do they mistake a man in the distance for their chief enemy the puma? Or does curiosity overcome their timidity? That they are curious is certain, for if a person lies on the ground, and plays strange antics, such as throwing up his feet in the air, they will almost always approach by degrees to reconnoitre him. It is an artifice that was repeatedly practised with success by the sportsman of the Beagle, and it had moreover the advantage of allowing several shots to be fired, which were all taken as parts of the performance. On the mountains of Tierra del Fuego, and in other places, I have more than once seen a Guanaco on being approached, not only neigh and squeal, but prance and leap about in the most ridiculous manner, apparently in defiance, as a challenge. These animals are very easily domesticated, and I have seen some in this state near the houses in northern Patagonia, although at large on their native plains. They are, when thus kept, very bold, and readily attack a man, by striking him from behind with both knees. It is asserted, that the motive for these attacks is jealousy on account of their females. The wild Guanacoes, however, have no idea of defence; and even a single dog will secure one of these large animals, till the huntsman can come up. In many of their habits they are like sheep in a flock. Thus when they see men approaching in several directions on horseback, they soon become bewildered, and know not which way to run. This circumstance greatly facilitates the Indian method of hunting, for they are thus easily driven to a central point, and are encompassed.

“The Guanacoes readily take to the water; several times at Port Valdes they were seen swimming from island to island. Byron, in his voyage, says he saw them drinking salt water. Some of our officers likewise saw a herd apparently drinking the briny fluid from a Salina near Cape Blanco; and in several parts of the country, if they do not drink salt water, I believe they drink none at all. In the middle of the day, they frequently roll in the dust, in saucer-shaped hollows. The males often fight together; one day two passed quite close to me, squealing and trying to bite each other; and several were shot with their hides deeply scored. Herds appear sometimes to set out on exploring parties: at Bahia Blanca, where within thirty miles of the coast these animals are extremely scarce, I one day saw the tracks of thirty or forty, which had come in a direct line to a muddy salt water creek. They then must have perceived, that they were approaching the sea, for they had wheeled with the regularity of cavalry, and had returned back in as straight a line, as they had advanced. The Guanacoes have one singular habit, the motive of which is to me quite inexplicable, namely, that on successive days they drop their dung on one defined heap. I saw one of these heaps, which was eight feet in diameter, and necessarily was composed of a large quantity. Frezier remarks on this habit as common to the Guanaco as well as to the Llama;[13] he says it is very useful to the Indians, who use the dung for fuel, and are thus saved the trouble of collecting it.

“The Guanacoes appear to have favourite spots for dying in. On the banks of the Santa Cruz, the ground was actually white with bones in certain circumscribed spaces, which generally were bushy and all near the river. On one such spot I counted between ten and twenty heads. I particularly examined the bones; they did not appear, as some scattered ones which I had seen, gnawed or broken as if dragged together by a beast of prey. The animals in most cases, must have crawled, before dying, beneath and amongst the bushes. Mr. Bynoe informs me, that during the last voyage, he observed the same circumstances on the banks of the Rio Gallegos. I do not at all understand the reason of this; but I may add, that the Guanacoes which were wounded on the plains near the Santa Cruz invariably walked towards the river. This quadruped seems particularly liable to contain in its stomach bezoar stones. The Indians who trade at the Rio Negro, bring great numbers to sell as Remedios or quack medicines; and I saw one old man with a box quite full of them, large and small.”—D.

FAMILY-CERVIDÆ.

CERVUS CAMPESTRIS.

Cervus campestris, _F. Cuvier_, in Dict. des Sc. Nat. VII. p. 484.

——, Cuvier Oss. Foss. IV. p. 51. Pl. 3. f. 46.[14]

Guazuti, _Azara_, “Natural History of the Quadrupeds of Paraguay.” W.
P. Hunter’s translation, vol. i. p. 135.

——, French translation, vol. i. p. 77.

Besides skins of this species of stag, I find, in Mr. Darwin’s collection, three pairs of horns, which, together with a pair belonging to one of the skins, constitute a sufficiently complete series to illustrate the different forms which these appendages assume, as the animal increases in size.

The above four sketches, which are all drawn to the same scale, will help to convey a clear idea of the forms, and relative proportions, of these horns.

The most simple horn (fig. 1.) consists of a _beam_, eight and a half inches long, which is slightly arched outwards and considerably compressed about two and a half inches from the apex. At one inch from the base there is a small brow antler which projects forwards and upwards.

In the next horn, (fig. 2.) there is the same small brow antler, but there is a single small _snag_, about equal in size to the brow antler, which is directed backwards and upwards, and is situated at three and a quarter inches from the apex of the beam. The total length of the beam is eight inches, measured in a straight line.

The third pair of horns, (fig. 3.) which must have belonged to an animal considerably older than either of the preceding pairs, exhibits a large brow antler, in length exceeding half that of the beam: here the posterior snag is also large, and is directed backwards and upwards, whilst the apical portion of the beam is directed forward about as much as the snag is directed backwards. The total length of this horn is eleven and a half inches, measured in a straight line.

The last figure (No. 4.) represents the horn of one of the specimens of which an entire skin was brought over. This horn differs only from the last in being slightly larger, and in having two additional small snags, one springing from the under side, and near the apex, of the brow antler, and the other springing from the hinder part, and near the apex of the great posterior snag.

“The Spaniards say they can distinguish how old a deer is by the number of the branches on the horns. They affirmed that the specimen, of which figure 4 represents one of the horns, was nine years old. It certainly was a very old one, as all its teeth were decayed. This specimen was killed at Maldonado, in the middle of June; another specimen was killed at Bahia Blanca, (about three hundred and sixty miles southward,) in the month of October, with the hairy skin on the horns: there were others, however, whose horns were free from skin. At this time of the year, many of the does had just kidded. I was informed, by the Spaniards, that this deer sheds its horns every year.

“The _Cervus campestris_ is exceedingly abundant throughout the countries bordering the Plata. It is found in Northern Patagonia as far south as the Rio Negro, (Lat. 41°); but, further southward, none were seen by the officers employed in surveying the coast. It appears to prefer a hilly country; I saw very many small herds, containing from five to seven animals each, near the Sierra Ventana, and among the hills north of Maldonado. If a person, crawling close along the ground, slowly advances towards a herd, the deer frequently approach, out of curiosity, to reconnoitre him. I have by this means killed, from one spot, three out of the same herd. Although thus so tame and inquisitive, yet, when approached on horseback, they are exceedingly wary. In this country nobody goes on foot, and the deer knows man as its enemy, only when he is mounted, and armed with the bolas. At Bahia Blanca, a recent establishment in Northern Patagonia, I was surprised to find how little the deer cared for the noise of a gun: one day, I fired ten times, from within eighty yards, at one animal, and it was much more startled at the ball cutting up the ground, than at the report.

“The most curious fact, with respect to this animal, is the overpoweringly strong and offensive odour which proceeds from the buck. It is quite indescribable: several times, whilst skinning the specimen, which is now mounted at the Zoological Museum, I was almost overcome by nausea. I tied up the skin in a silk pocket-handkerchief, and so carried it home: this handkerchief, after being well washed, I continually used, and it was, of course, as repeatedly washed; yet every time, when first unfolded, for a space of one year and seven months, I distinctly perceived the odour. This appears an astonishing instance of the permanence of some matter, which in its nature, nevertheless, must be most subtile and volatile. Frequently, when passing at the distance of half a mile to leeward of a herd, I have perceived the whole air tainted with the effluvium. I believe the smell from the buck is most powerful at the period when its horns are perfect, or free from the hairy skin. When in this state the meat is, of course, quite uneatable; but the Spaniards assert, that if buried for some time in fresh earth, the taint is removed. These deer generally weigh about sixty or seventy pounds.”—D.

FAMILY—MURIDÆ.

1. MUS DECUMANUS.
Mus decumanus, _Auctorum_.

In the extensive collection of Rodent animals brought home by Mr. Darwin, I find several specimens of the above named species, that is to say, animals which resemble the European specimens of _Mus Decumanus_ in all those characters which are the least liable to variation in individuals of the same species, such as the proportions which the various parts of the animal bear to each other: they differ, however, somewhat in colouring.

Buenos Ayres, Maldonado, Valparaiso, East Falkland Island, and Keeling Island, are each, it appears, infested with the common European rat. I have now before me two specimens from East Falkland Island, and one specimen from each of the other localities, and among these I find none equal in size to the largest European specimens: as regards the colouring, the Buenos Ayres specimen differs only from the English specimens of _Mus Decumanus_, in having the upper parts of a richer and deeper hue, owing to the tips of the shorter hairs being of a deep yellow instead of pale yellow, and in having a rusty tint over the haunches.

Mr. Darwin found this variety “common about houses in the country around Buenos Ayres.”

In the Maldonado variety, the shorter hairs of the upper parts of the body are of a rusty yellow colour at the apex, in other respects it resembles the British variety. The rusty yellow colour of the tips of the hairs produces a general reddish hue, which is the more conspicuous, when the animal is placed near an English specimen. “Was caught in a house, at Maldonado. I saw a specimen of the common gray English, or Norway rat, lying dead in the streets, and it certainly had a very different appearance from these red rats. The latter, I saw crawling about the hedges in the interior provinces at Santa Fé, and likewise in the forest of the island of Chiloe. This latter fact, however, is a strong argument against its being aboriginal, since I did not find even one undoubted American species, out of the many which I collected, inhabiting both sides of the Cordillera.”—D.

The specimen from Valparaiso very closely resembles that from Maldonado; it is, perhaps, a little less red. “Common about the houses in the town of Valparaiso.”

The two specimens from East Falkland are of a brighter hue, and have less gray in their colouring, than in the European variety of the common rat. “One of them was caught in a Bay, which is sometimes frequented by shipping, but which is distant thirty or forty miles from any habitation. These rats have spread, not only over the whole of East and West Falkland, but even on some of the outlying islets. When the cold, wet, and gloomy nature of the climate is considered, it is surprising that these animals should be able to find food to live on.”—D.

The general hue of the Keeling Island specimen, is deep brown, the longer hairs of the upper parts of the body being, as usual, black; but the shorter hairs, instead of having the pale yellow tint which we observe in the European, (or, rather, British) specimens of _Mus Decumanus_, are of a deep, rusty yellow. The most remarkable difference, however, consists in the colouring of the under parts being of a yellowish tint, and, towards the root of the tail, of a very distinct buff yellow: the feet are brownish.

“This rat is exceedingly numerous on some of the low coral islets forming the margin of the Lagoon of Keeling Island, in the Indian Ocean. The climate is dry and hot. The rats are known to have come in a vessel from the Mauritius, which was wrecked on one of the islets, which is now called Rat Island. They appeared stunted in their growth, and many of them were mangy. They are supposed to live chiefly on cocoa-nuts, and any animal matter the sea may chance to throw up. They have not any fresh water; but the milk of the cocoa-nut would supply its place.”—D.

The principal dimensions of the above animals are as follows:—

Specimen
from
Buenos
Ayres Maldonado. Valparaiso.
In. Lines. In. Lines. In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 9 9 9 3 8 6
of tail Imperfect 6 0 6 6
of tarsus 1 7 1 7 1 7

East East Keeling
Falkland. Falkland. Island.
In. Lines. In. Lines. In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 8 9 9 0 8 3
of tail Imperfect 6 0 6 6
of tarsus 1 7 1 7 1 7

Upon comparing the skull of the Valparaiso variety with that of a British specimen of _Mus decumanus_, I could perceive no difference. A skull from West Falkland did not differ, neither did the dentition of the Keeling Island specimen above noticed. A perfect specimen of this last I have not had an opportunity of examining.

2. MUS (DECUMANUS _var._ ?) MAURUS.

Mus maurus, _Waterh._ in Proceedings of the Zoological Society of
London, for February, 1837, p. 20.

_M. pilis suprà purpurescenti-nigris; subtùs plumbeis; auribus
parvulis, pallidè fuscis: caudâ corpus ferè æquante._

DESCRIPTION.—The character of the fur of this animal nearly resembles
that of _Mus decumanus_; it is, however, of a harsher nature: the
general colour of the upper parts and sides of the body is
purple-black, arising from the longest hairs being of this colour,
and likewise the tips of those which are next in length; the
latter, however, excepting at the tip, are white, and this white
is not entirely hidden, even when the hairs are in their ordinary
position: on the head the hairs assume a brownish hue, and are
tolerably uniform: the limbs, and under parts of the body, are of
a deep gray colour, with a faint purple-brown wash: the under fur
is gray: the ears are small, of a brown-white, or very pale brown
colour, and furnished with minute brown hairs: the small,
scattered, bristly hairs of the tail are of an uniform brownish
black colour. The hairs of the moustaches are black at the base,
and grayish at the apex.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 11 3
of tail 7 6
of tarsus 1 8
of ear 0 6¼
from nose to ear 2 2

Habitat, Maldonado, La Plata, (_June_.)

This rat is very closely allied to _Mus decumanus_, and I think may possibly prove an extraordinary local variety of that animal. Having but one skin, and no skull, I am unable to satisfy myself on this point. Its size, as will be seen by the admeasurements, exceeds that of the common rat, or, rather, it exceeds ordinary specimens of that animal, for I have seen _some_ which were equal to it.

“It was killed near Maldonado, where it frequented holes in the sand hillocks near the shore. It is likewise found on the island of Guritti. If ships are ever infested with these monstrous rats, the above-mentioned localities are very likely places to have received colonies by such means. An old male weighed fifteen ounces and three quarters. The ears of this rat, when alive, were of a pale colour, which made a singular contrast with the black fur of its body.”—D.

3. MUS JACOBIÆ.

Mus decumanoïdes,[15] _Waterh._ in “Catalogue of the Mammalia
preserved in the Museum of the Zoological Society of London.”

_M. suprà fuscus, griseo-lavatus, subtùs albus: pedum pilis sordidè
albis; caudâ corpore cum capite paulò longiore; auribus mediocribus:
pilis perlongis in dorso crebrè inter cæteros commixtis._

DESCRIPTION.—The general tint of the upper parts of this rat, is
grayish brown, (very nearly resembling that of _Mus decumanus_);
the longest hairs, which on the hinder portion of the back are one
inch and a half in length, are black; the ordinary hairs are black
at the apex, there is then, on each hair, a considerable space
occupied by pale yellow, and the remaining, or basal portion, is
grayish white; the under fur is gray: the hairs of the chin,
throat, and under parts of the body, are white, and without any
gray colour at the roots: the feet are covered with dirty grayish
hairs: the tail, which is slender, is very sparingly furnished
with minute black hairs, both above and beneath: the ears are of
moderate size, of a brownish flesh-colour, and, to the naked eye,
appear to be destitute of hair. The hairs of the moustaches are
most of them black at the base, and grayish at the apex.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 7 6
of tail 7 6
of tarsus 1 4¼
of ear 0 7½
from nose to ear 1 7½

Habitat, James Island, Galapagos Archipelago, Pacific Ocean,
(_October_.)

This species is scarcely equal in size to a full grown common black rat, (_Mus Rattus_), the head is rather shorter in proportion, the tarsi are smaller, and the tail is longer. In the character of the fur, and length of the hairs, it _very_ closely resembles that species: the ears are larger than in _M. decumanus_, and about equal to those of _M. Rattus_. In having the hairs of the under parts of the body of an uniform colour, (i. e. not gray at the base,) it resembles the _Mus Tectorum_ of Savi; but the large size of that animal, the greater length of the fur, and its colouring, all serve to distinguish it from the present species, which I may here observe, is truly an old world form, and very distinct from another species, also from the Galapagos, which is hereafter described.

“It is very common in James Island, but is not found on all the islands, if on any other in the Archipelago. Although its appearance is so like that of the common rat, yet its habits appear to be rather different: it is less carnivorous, and does not appear to be so strongly attached to the habitations of man. This island was frequented, about one hundred and fifty years since, by the vessels belonging to the Bucaniers; so that the common rat might easily have been transported here. And if a very peculiar climate, a volcanic soil, and strange food, can together produce a race, or strongly marked variety, there is every probability of such change having taken place in this case.”—D.

4. MUS (RATTUS _var._?) INSULARIS.

_M. suprà grisescenti, colore subtùs dilutiore; tarsis
purpureo-nigris: caudâ corpus cum capite æquante: auribus
mediocribus: vellere molli._

DESCRIPTION.—No. 1. The general colour of this animal is what might be
termed black, there is, however, an obscure purple-brown hue on
the upper parts of the body, and the sides and under parts have a
grayish tint, the hairs covering the feet above are of an uniform
deep purple-brown, almost black. All the hairs of the body are
gray at the base: the hairs of the moustaches are long and
numerous, and of a black colour, having one or two white hairs
intermixed: the ears are of moderate size, and very sparingly
furnished with minute dark hairs: the tail is long and slender,
and has small, scattered, bristly hairs, of a brown-black colour.

In. Lines.
Length from nose to root of tail 7 0
of tail 6 6
of tarsus 1 3½
of ear 0 7
from nose to ear 1 6

No. 2. Hairs along the centre of the back chiefly black, and but
obscurely annulated, near the apex, with deep yellow: towards the
sides of the body, and over the haunches, the hairs are more
distinctly annulated, and on the sides of the body they are of a
pale yellow at the apex: on the under parts the hairs are gray,
tipped with dirty yellowish white: the feet are of the same deep
purple-brown hue as in the specimen first described.

Habitat, Ascension Island, Atlantic Ocean, (_July_.)