Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/289

Rh leader in the Sardinian Chambers. In private life he va3 upright, genial, and forgiving. In public life, as vre have seen, his one passion was the regeneration of Italy. In fact, few statesmen have left a more stainless name behind them. He vas never married, and left his property to the children of his elder brother, who, it may be added, was a, stanch adherent of the reactionary party.

1em  CAVY, a name common to several species of Rodents belonging to the family Cavidce, all of which, at least in the wild state, are confined to the South American con tinent. They are small creatures, seldom exceeding a foot in length, burrowing in the ground, and feeding entirely on fruits and herbs. There are several species. (1.) The Patagonian Cavy (Dolickotis patagonica), larger than a hare, but somewhat resembling that rodent in external appear ance, inhabits the dry sterile districts of Patagonia and La Plata, disappearing wherever the country becomes more humid. It is a shy creature, forming burrows in the earth, although in districts where the bizcacha is found, it is said to avail itself of the subterranean works of the latter. It feeds by day, roaming in search of food in small companies, &quot; hopping,&quot; says Darwin, &quot; 0113 after the other in a straight line over the gravelly plain.&quot; Unlike other cavies, its eyes, like those of the kangaroo, are protected from the glare of the sun by prominent eyelashes. It is covered with a long dense fur of a rusty colour, and has a short tail. It produces two young at a birth. (2.) The Restless Cavy (Cavia aperea), found throughout Uruguay and Brazil, is supposed to be the wild form of the Guinea- pig of Europe, It is about 10 inches long, is destitute of a tail, and weighs a little over 1 Ib ; its fur is long and of a nearly uniform greyish-brown colour. The aperea is rarely found in dry sandy localities, preferring marshes covered with aquatic plants, among which it lies concealed, feeding in the early morning and after sunset in the evening, but when the soil is dry it forms burrows like the other cavies. It is said to live in societies of from six to eighteen individuals, to breed but once a year, and to have one or at most only two young at a birth. The Guinea-pig (Cavia cobaya of some authors) was, according to the zoologists of the IGth century, unknown in Europe previous to the dis covery of America, and there is little doubt that it was introduced from the southern division of that continent, the name of Guinea-pig being probably given by mistake for Guiana-pig. It differs, however, in many important respects from the wild aperea. It is somewhat larger, as might be expected in a cultivated form ; the colour of its fur is white, variegated with irregular patches of red and black. It perishes on the marshy soil which the other prefers ; it produces a numerous progeny three times a year; and what is more important still, the two forms do not couple together, a difference which among wild species is usually held as indicating generic distinctness. It appears, from the drawing of Aldrovandus, that the Guinea- pig had already attained its present variegated colouring fifty years after the discovery of America, a fact which has led to the supposition that it had been previously domesti cated by the natives of South America. Mr Waterhouse, however, thinks it more probable &quot; that some pretty variety had attractsd the attention of the earliest European settlers in the New World, and given rise to its capture and domestication, more especially as the harmless disposition and pretty colouring of the common Guinea-pig appear to be the only claims of interest which are attached to it &quot; (Natural History of the Mammalia, vol. ii.) It is a singularly inoffensive and defenceless creature, of a restless disposition, and greatly wanting in that intelligence which usually characterizes domestic pets, although it is said to show some discrimination. It is of no particular service to man, neither its flesh nor its fur being put to use, while the statement that its presence is sufficient to drive off rats and mice appears to be without foundation. It is exceed ingly prolific, beginning to breed at the age of two months; the number of young varies, according to the age of the parent, from four to twelve. It has been calculated that a single pair of Guinea-pigs may prove the parent stock of a thousand individuals in a single year. (3.) The Bolivian Cavy (Cavia lolivensis), found throughout the higher regions of Bolivia, usually at an elevation of 10,000 or 12,000 feet, is exceedingly shy, and lives in burrows, these in some districts being so numerous as to have completely undermined the soil. (4.) The Rock Cavy (Cavia 7- it pest r is), distinguished by its short, blunt nails, is found in rocky situations throughout Brazil, and is much sought after for its flesh, which is considered a dainty by the Indians. (5.) The Southern Cavy (Cavia australis), common along the coast of Patagonia, forms deep burrows, with several outlets, in sandy declivities, and is said to climb trees in search of the fruit on which it feeds.  CAWNPUR [], a district of British India within the jurisdiction of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Xorth-Western Provinces, lies in 25and 26 X.lat., and 79 and 80 E. long. It is bounded on the X. by the province of Oudh, the Ganges River forming the boundary line; on the E. by Fathipur district, on the S. by the Jamna, separating it from Hamirpur and Jalaun districts, and on the &quot;W. by Etawah and Farrakhabad districts. The district is situated between the Ganges and Jamna rivers, and is a portion of the well- watered and fertile tract known as the Duab. The general inclination of the country is from north to south. Besides the two great rivers, the principal streams are the Arand or Rhind, the Karan or Singar, the Isan, and the Pandu. xVn extension of the great Ganges Canal also passes through the district. The total area is 2336 53 square miles. The census of 1872 returned the total population of Cawnpur district at 1,156,055, made up as follows : Hindus, 1,065,786, or 92-20 percent, of the total population; Muhammadans, 89,215, or 7 - 72 per cent; Christians (i.e., Europeans, Eurasians, and native Chris tians), 1054, or 08 per cent. Total number of villages and townships, 1985; total number of houses, 272,232. Only two towns in the district contain a population of upwards of 5000 souls, namely Cawnpur town and can tonments, population 122,778, and Bilhaur, population 5954. Of the total area of the district, viz., 2 336 53 square miles, 1351-42 square miles are cultivated, and 236-15 cultivable, the remainder being uncultivable waste. The staple crop is wheat, but cotton of an excellent quality has of late years been much cultivated. The principal industry is leather work, which is very extensively carried on throughout the district, Cawnpur saddlery and harness being exported to all parts of India. The trading towns of importance besides Cawnpur are, Bilhaur, population 5954; Akbarpur, population 4911; and Kashi- pur, population 4663. Most of the towns and large villages have markets once or twice a week for the sale of local produce and cattle. The only regularly-constituted municipality in the district is Cawnpur, but ten small towns have a municipal committee, and carry out con servancy and sanitary arrangements, &amp;lt;tc., by means of taxes assessed on the householders. The last settlement of the land revenue of the district expired in 1872, and a new one is in progress.

