Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/92

80 vent, had fully succeeded in the objects to which his ambition had prompted him. He had been made, of course, superior of the first convent, and, subsequently, when the &quot; families &quot; of his new congregation had multiplied, he became vicar-general, subject only to the general of all the Franciscans.

1em 1em 1em 1em  CAPYBARA (Hydrockcerus capybara), the largest of existing Rodents, measuring about 4 feet in length and 3 iu girth, and weighing usually over 100 tb. It is also known as the water-hog from the resemblance which it bears when walking to a pig, although when sitting on its haunches it reassumes the characteristic appearance of the Cavy family, to which it belongs. In the coarseness and scantiness of its fur, in the numerous enamel plates, embedded in cement, which stretch entirely across its molar teeth, like those of the elephant, and in the habit, when swimming, of carrying its young on its back like the hippopotamus, the capybara has been supposed to form a connecting link between the rodents and pachyderms, and in the Linnaean system of classification it was placed among the SuidcB. Its scanty fur is of a dark brown colour, its tail forms a small horny protuberance, and its feet are webbed, though not to the extremities of the toes. This pachydermatous rodent, as it has been called, is confined to South America, where it extends from Guiana southward to the Rio de la Plata, and westward to the eastern slopes of the Andes. It is a nocturnal animal, feeding on fruits and herbs, inhabiting the banks of rivers and fresh water lakes, and occasionally frequenting, according to Darwin, the mouths of such rivers as the Rio Plata where the water is entirely salt. Capybaras congregate in considerable numbers, browsing by night among aquatic plants, and in districts where they are not liable to the attacks of the jaguar, are sufficiently tame to allow themselves to be approached within a few feet ; while, under domestication, they are said to be capable of considerable attachment. When disturbed they utter a low abrupt grunt, &quot; resembling,&quot; says Darwin, &quot; the first hoarse bark of a large dog.&quot; apparently produced by a sudden expulsion of air ; then, rushing at full speed into the water, they dive out of sight, remaining submerged for seven or eight minutes, and reappearing only to show the upper surface of their heads. They are readily killed, seldom attempting to defend themselves, although when driven to extremity they have been known to tear the flesh from the paw of a jaguar or the leg of a horse. Their skin is of little value, and their flesh, which is made into hams, is of indifferent quality. The missionary monks of Brazil were wont to eat it during Lent, along with their turtle, in virtue of the capybara s amphibious habits. On land it is a favourite food of the jaguar, as it is of the alligator in the water. Fossil re mains of this and of another species of capybara have been found in the caves of Brazil.  CARACAL, (Felis caracal}, belongs to a group of Lynxes characterized by comparative slenderness of body and length of tail and ears. It is somewhat larger than a fox, of a uniform reddish brown colour above, and whitish beneath, with two white spots above each of the eyes, and with a long black tuft of hair at the tip of the ears, the latter, according to Sir W. Jardine, being only present in spring, or at the commencement of the breeding season. It is to the ear-tufts that it owes its name, which is derived from two Turkish words signifying &ldquo;black-ear.&rdquo; The caracal is widely distributed, being found throughout Africa and South-western Asia. It feeds on the smaller quadrupeds and birds, hunting the former in packs after the manner of wolves, and climbing trees in pursuit of the latter. It is said also to resemble the jackal in following in the wake of the lion and other large carnivora, in order to feed on what those lords of the lower creation may leave, and on this account has received the name of the &quot; lion s provider.&quot; Like the cheetah, it was formerly trained by Eastern princes to hunt the smaller quadrupeds, and such birds as the crane and pelican ; but from its fierceness, and the extreme irritability which it displays in confine ment, it does not seem well-fitted for domestication. 