Chinchilla

C. lanigera. Small S. American rodent inhabiting the high mountain valleys. They are ab. 1 ft. long, with thick bushy tail, and nocturnal in their habits. Their gray fur is prized for its remarkably fine texture. See HYSTRICOMORPH A. IMG:content-0859.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0860.png:[blocks in formation] A then i ans 412 B.C.; conquered by Crusaders 1204, and in 1566 by Turks, who ma acred or enslaved most of its inhabitants in 1822. 6,000 perished in an earthquake April, 1881. Pop. 70,000, mostly Greeks.