Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 27.djvu/856

834 mild and docile." Its most singular trait, its habit of barter, is apparently, if the same, unknown. He is not a thief like the monkey, who steals and makes no reparation, but, with a strange kind of honesty, whenever he helps himself he puts something (to his mind, perhaps, as valuable) in its place; he adapts himself to circumstances; there being neither corn nor shell-fish in the Northwest, he does very well without, and maintains a plump appearance upon something else. The habit of building here is in dry haunts, where it can find seclusion and secrecy. Since beginning this article, I have met with an extract from Father Joseph Acosta's "Natural and Moral History of the East and West Indies," published at Barcelona, in Spain, in 1591, translated and printed in London in 1604, which seems a fair description of this little animal. Again, in "The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knight, in his Voyage into the South Sea, 1593," published in London, 1622, and still another published by a Spaniard, "History of Chili," published at Rome, 1646. In all these accounts there is a queer confusion of names. Sometimes these animals are spoken of as rats, again squirrels, then chinchillas; the covering of their skins is named indifferently, as it happens, wool or fur; color generally said to be gray.

From a natural history of Chili, published at Bologna, in Italian, 1782, translated 1810, I give the following extracts:

"The chinchilla is another species of field-rat, held in great esteem for the extreme fineness of its wool, if a rich fur, as delicate as the silken webs of the garden-spiders, may be so termed. It is of an ash gray, and sufficiently long for spinning.

"The little animal which produces it is six inches long from the nose to the root of the tail, with small, pointed ears, a short muzzle, teeth like the house-rat, and a tail of moderate length, clothed with delicate fur.

"It lives in burrows underground, in the open country of the northern provinces of Chili, and is very fond of being in company with others of its species.

"It feeds upon roots of various bulbous plants, which grow abundantly in these parts.

"It is so docile and mild in temper that, if taken into the hands, it neither bites nor tries to escape, but seems to take pleasure in being caressed.

"If placed in the bosom it remains there, as still and quiet as if in its own nest. As it is in itself peculiarly cleanly, there can he no fear of its soiling the clothes of those who handle it, or of its communicating any bad smell to them, for it is entirely free from that ill odor which characterizes the other species of rats."

And he adds, which to us seems odd enough, about a little creature six or more inches in length, "For this reason it might well be kept in the houses, with no annoyance, and at a trifling expense, which would be abundantly repaid by the profits on its wool."