File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia (1896) (20405099192).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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THE HORXED AXIMALS. 447 paca is very palatable. In their native country they are not used as beasts of burden, but are bred exclu- sively for their wool and flesh. From their wool the Indians manufacture artistic table-covers and other valuable articles, which are noteworthy for their beautiful lustre and their wearing qualities. The Vicugna, its "The Vicugna (Auchenia vicugna) is Home and more graceful than the Llama," says Haunts. Tschudi. "In size it holds the mean between Llama and Alpaca, but is distinguished from both by its wool, which is much shorter, more curl_\* and of an exquisitely fine texture. The top of the head, the upper part of the neck, the body and the thighs are of a peculiar reddish yellow hue known as Vicugna color; the throat and the inner faces of the limbs are light ochre yellow; the breast-hair, which is nearly five inches long, and the abdomen are white. '"During the rainy sea- son the Vicugnas live on the ridges of the Cordil- leras, which afford but scant vegetation. As the hoofs are soft and the soles sensitive, the ani- mals always remain on the grass plots, and even when pursued, they rare- ly retreat to the craggy, bare peaks and stdl less to the glaciers and snow- fields, as is the habit of the Chamois. During the hot season they de- scend to the valleys. The apparent contradic- tion of habits that in- duces the animals to keep in cold regions in winter and in warm ones in summer, is explained by the fact that the crest of the Cordilleras is quite parched during the dry season, and vegeta- tion capable of affording them sufficient nourish- ment can be found only in the valleys, where there are rivers and mo- rasses. " The female usually gives birth to a single young one, which immediately after it is born exhib- its extraordinary powers of endurance and great fleetness. The young male Vicugnas remain under the protection of their mothers until they are fully grown; then a large number of females unite and drive the males away by dint of biting and kicking. These discarded individuals unite to form their own herds, eventually joining others, so that the)- some- times number from twenty to thirty." The Vicugna Vicugnas caught young are easily Easily Domes- tamed and become very familiar, at- ticated. taching themselves to their keeper and following him like well-bred domestic animals. With advancing age, however, they become vicious. like their wild relatives, and unbearable by reason of their unpleasant habit of continually spitting. The experiment of taming them is seldom tried, and their freedom is disturbed only to procure their wool. As early as the times of Acosta the Indians used to shear the Vicugnas and use their wool to manufact- ure a fabric of great value, which had the appearance of white silk, and was very durable, as it did not re- quire dyeing or the usual process of bleaching and finishing. Clothing made from this stuff was espe- cially adapted for hot weather. Even now the finest and most durable materials are woven out of this wool, and felt made from it is used for making strong, soft hats.
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vrf,t THE VICUGNA. Inhabiting the most elevated localities of Bolivia ami northern Chili, the Vicugnas live in rhis animal is the smallest of the American species ol the Camel family, is very wild, and is only capable of domestication when young. Thej are pretty animals with a soft, silky fur which is much in request (or making fine fabrics. (Auchenia vicugna.) £be Iborncfc animals. THIRD FAMILY: BoviD/E. The third main section of the Ruminants contains the Horned Animals (Bovida), which constitute a single, clearly defined family, separated into five sub- families. Closely allied to the hollow-horned ani- mals as the Deer may appear to be, they differ from them decidedly in shape and structure, as well as in the manner of the growth of their horns, the de- velopment and progression of those members being a constant one. The Horned Animals have conical projections on the forehead, which remain enclosed

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