Kerodon Kingii, _Bennett_, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of
London for 1835, p. 190.
Habitat, Patagonia.
“The Kerodon is common at intervals along the coast of Patagonia, from
the Rio Negro (Lat. 41°) to the Strait of Magellan. It is very tame, and
commonly feeds by day: it is said to bring forth two young ones at a
birth. At the Rio Negro it frequents in great numbers the bottoms of old
hedges: at Port Desire it lives beneath the ruins of the old Spanish
buildings. One old male killed there weighed 3530 grains. At the Strait
of Magellan, I have seen amongst the Patagonian Indians, cloaks for
small children made with the skins of this little animal; and the Jesuit
Falkner says, that the people of one of the southern tribes, take their
name from the number of these animals which inhabit their country. The
Spaniards and half-civilized Indians, call the Kerodon, ‘conejos,’ or
rabbit; and thus the mistake has arisen, that rabbits are found in the
neighbourhood of the Strait of Magellan.”—D.
1. CAVIA COBAIA.
Cavia Cobaia, _Auct._