When the female is swimming in the water, and has young ones, they are said to sit on her back.

These animals are easily killed in numbers; but their skins are of trifling value, and the meat is very indifferent.

On the islands in the Rio Parana they are exceedingly abundant, and afford the ordinary prey to the Jaguar.
The Tucutuco (Ctenomys Brasiliensis) is a curious small animal, which may be briefly described as a Gnawer, with the habits of a mole.

It is extremely numerous in some parts of the country, but it is difficult to be procured, and never, I believe, comes out of the ground.

It throws up at the mouth of its burrows hillocks of earth like those of the mole, but smaller.