255 
having all been thrown up together in a heap on one 
side, there is no barrier to the water which, in every great 
rainfall, flows in and obliterates the kennel, drowning or 
driving out the tenant. 
In the second place, the vizcachas have many enemies 
and it must therefore be of great advantage that there 
should be a perfectly clear space all around their dwell 
ing, so that no cover should be afforded for any animal 
attempting to take them by surprise, but that they should 
be able to see the enemy from afar. The space also 
affords a comparatively safe place to feed in ; and if the 
vizcachas are attacked, the cleared space offers no im 
pediment to their speedy retreat. 
In the third place, the space having to be cleared, the 
choice lay between taking the débris to the outer circle 
of the clearing or placing it around the mound, and 
especially round the large burrows. If the former course 
were adopted it would afford a cover in which the enemy 
might conceal itself, and from which it would rush to the 
attack. By adopting the latter course, the mound is 
raised, and thi-s answers a double purpose. It gives added 
security to the burrows, which are liable to be inundated ; 
and perhaps the material which is brought to the mound 
serves to bind together the loose earth and to make it 
more able to resist the action of the water. The higher 
the mound, the greater will be the advantage it confers 
as an outlook against danger ; an advantage which seems 
to be demonstrated by the habits of the animals, which 
are often seen sitting on their haunches endeavouring to 
get as wide a view as possible.* 
Dogs, we are told, display the meaningless habit of 
barking round a carriage. But is there no meaning and 
Hudson. The Naturalist in La Plata, pp. 289-313.