"The four animals belong to the same family, and some naturalists say the llama is nothing more than the domesticated guanaco. The llama is found all through South America, from northern Peru to the Strait of Magellan; it has been well described as having the head of a camel, the body of a deer, the wool of a sheep, and the neigh of a horse. It prefers a cold climate to a warm one; in the torrid zone it lives at a high elevation, while on the cool plains of Patagonia, near the level of the sea, it is found in great numbers. In Patagonia it is not domesticated, but in Peru, Bolivia, and Chili it is used as a beast of burden; it is about three feet high at the shoulder, and its head five feet when the animal stands erect. It can carry a burden of not more than a hundred pounds, lives on very scanty food, endures cold without suffering, and requires no drink as long as it can find succulent herbage. The pens where the animals are shut up at night have no shelter against the cold winds, which they do not mind in the least, and they are said to require very little care from one year's end to another. [Illustration: ANCIENT GATEWAY NEAR PUNO.] "Those that we saw in the streets seemed to have things their own way, and to be indifferent to the presence of men; but when we tried to approach one he refused our acquaintance and walked away. When angry the llama stamps his feet, and ejects a saliva that causes a burning sensation if it falls on the unprotected skin; we did not care to make the experiment, and therefore refrained from irritating one of the animals. "The alpaca is not used as a beast of burden, but is reared for its wool flesh, and skin, especially the former. You know that the alpaca wool is fine; so is that of the vicuna, which closely resembles the alpaca. The wool of the llama is about six inches long, and its fleece often weighs ten pounds. The llama is interesting from being the only native domesticated animal in South America. The horse, ox, sheep, hog, and all other animals useful to man, came from other countries. "The principal sport of some parts of South America, especially of Patagonia, is the chase of the llama or guanaco. The hunters go on horseback or on foot, and 'stalk' their game by moving slowly towards them, being always careful not to alarm the animals. In this way they may get near enough for a shot with their rifles, but very often the guanacos are wary, and decline close acquaintance. Every hunter who can afford it keeps a lot of dogs trained to the chase, and it is interesting to see how well they understand their work.