seen, fortunately for the inhabitants of Banda Oriental, to the
eastward of the river Uruguay: yet in this province there are plains
which appear admirably adapted to its habits. The Uruguay has formed an
insuperable obstacle to its migration: although the broader barrier of
the Parana has been passed, and the bizcacha is common in Entre Rios,
the province between these two great rivers. Near Buenos Ayres these
animals are exceedingly common. Their most favourite resort appears to
be those parts of the plain which during one-half of the year are
covered with giant thistles, to the exclusion of other plants. The
Gauchos affirm that it lives on roots; which, from the great strength
of its gnawing teeth, and the kind of places frequented by it, seems
probable. In the evening the bizcachas come out in numbers, and quietly
sit at the mouths of their burrows on their haunches. At such times
they are very tame, and a man on horseback passing by seems only to
present an object for their grave contemplation. They run very
awkwardly, and when running out of danger, from their elevated tails
and short front legs much resemble great rats. Their flesh, when
cooked, is very white and good, but it is seldom used.
The bizcacha has one very singular habit; namely, dragging every hard
object to the mouth of its burrow: around each group of holes many
bones of cattle, stones, thistle-stalks, hard lumps of earth, dry dung,
etc., are collected into an irregular heap, which frequently amounts to
as much as a wheelbarrow would contain. I was credibly informed that a
gentleman, when riding on a dark night, dropped his watch; he returned
in the morning, and by searching the neighbourhood of every bizcacha
hole on the line of road, as he expected, he soon found it. This habit
of picking up whatever may be lying on the ground anywhere near its
habitation, must cost much trouble. For what purpose it is done, I am
quite unable to form even the most remote conjecture: it cannot be for
defence, because the rubbish is chiefly placed above the mouth of the
burrow, which enters the ground at a very small inclination. No doubt
there must exist some good reason; but the inhabitants of the country
are quite ignorant of it. The only fact which I know analogous to it,
is the habit of that extraordinary Australian bird, the Calodera
maculata, which makes an elegant vaulted passage of twigs for playing
in, and which collects near the spot, land and sea-shells, bones and
the feathers of birds, especially brightly coloured ones. Mr. Gould,
who has described these facts, informs me, that the natives, when they
lose any hard object, search the playing passages, and he has known a
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