th great brilliant eyes, an erect tail, strong bristles on the upper
lip, and rounded, almost naked ears. Its beautifully soft fur is much
valued by ladies in Europe. It covers in certain districts the slopes
of the Andes with its burrows, which trip up many an unwary horseman--
greatly to its surprise and alarm, as its only object in forming them is
to have a quiet home of its own, where it can bring up its young, and
enjoy the roots which it collects, and on which it feeds at its leisure.

THE TUCUTUCO (CTENOMYS BRAZILIENSIS).

The tucutuco--another small rodent, with burrowing habits something like
those of a mole--gains its name from the short nasal groan which it
repeats about four times in quick succession. It is very abundant, and
may be heard at all times of the day uttering its strange sounds
directly beneath the feet in its burrow. It throws up little hillocks
of earth like those of a mole at the mouth of its abode. So completely
are tracks of country undermined by these animals, that horses in
passing over sink above their fetlocks.

They are gregarious and nocturnal in their habits. Their chief food
consists of the roots of plants, to obtain which they make their
extensive and superficial burrows. From the formation of their
hind-legs, they are unable to jump even the smallest vertical height.

It is a curious circumstance connected with them, that large numbers
become blind,--though apparently the animal suffers but little
inconvenience in consequence, as it exists almost entirely beneath the
surface of the ground.

THE RHEA.

Across the wide Pampas, from the plains of La Plata to the south of
Patagonia, the large rhea, vying almost in size with the African
ostrich, stalks along, generally in pairs, but sometimes in large flocks
of thirty or more. It differs from the real ostrich,--having three toes
instead of two, is smaller, and of a uniform grey colour, except on the
back, which has a brown tint. Like the ostrich, the back and rump are
furnished with long feathers, but of a less rich description than the
former species.

When running, it moves at great speed, alternately raising,
outstretching, and then depressing its wings.

The cock bird emits a singularly deep-toned, hissing note; and he can be
distinguished by being larger, darker coloured, and having a bigger head
than the hen. The cry is so deep and loud, that it resembles that of a
wild beast.

His hens lay their eggs at rando