The paca--another rodent--is remarkable for its enormously-developed
cheek-bone, and for the thick pouch which it possesses. Like its big
relation, the capybara, it always takes up its abode in the
neighbourhood of water. It forms a burrow so near the surface, that a
person walking over it suddenly steps through. It generally makes three
openings, which it covers with dry leaves and branches. The Indian
easily discovers the entrances, when he closes up two of the apertures,
and watches till the paca ventures out of the third. The little animal,
however, defends itself bravely, and will severely bite its assailant.
It is of a thick, clumsy form, measuring about two feet in length from
the tip of the nose to the extremity of the body, and about one foot in
height. The hinder limbs are long, the front ones much bent. Its feet
are armed with thick, strong, conical claws, suitable for digging.
Though a clumsy-looking creature, it can run and jump with great
activity. It makes a noise somewhat like the grunting of a young pig.
It lives upon fruits and tender plants, going out from its hole to
forage at night, but generally remaining concealed during the daytime.
When alarmed it readily takes to the water, and dives and swims
remarkably well.
Bates describes a tame cutea, or an agouti, which he found feeding in
the neighbourhood of a village, nibbling the fallen fruits of the
inaja-palm. On his trying to catch it, instead of betaking itself, as
he thought it would, to the thicket, it ran on to the house of its
owners, which was at a distance of about two hundred yards.
The paca and agouti belong to the peculiar family of the rodent order
confined to South America, and which connects the Rodentia to the
Pachydermata--the order to which the elephant, horse, and hog belong.
The fossil toxodon resembled the Rodentia in its dentition, and, at the
same time, was nearly related to the elephant. These facts make it
probable that these animals are living representatives of a group which
existed at a distant epoch of the world's history, and which possessed a
structure partaking of the character of the two great orders--Rodentia
and Pachydermata--now so widely distinct in the majority of forms.