GUANACOS, CAMELS AND COWS
Sir-What the buffalo was to the prairies of North America, the guanaco was to the pampas of the South. Technically, in classifying it as belonging to the camel family, "Sundowner" (Listener, March 27) may be quite correct, but in likening it to the camel Palgrave knew so well, the ship of the desert which in the’ past 40 years some New Zealanders have become familiar with, he once more shows he is discussing
something he knows nothing about. A wild llama is a fair description of this beast, for though its dominant characteristics are not so pronounced its kinship is obvious. Actually in looks and habits it is to a lay observer nearer to a deer than a camel You can eat it if you are hungry enough, wrap its skin round you as a cloak if you are cold enough; but you cannot ride it, you cannot drive it. My recollection is that it evacuates in much the same way as any other grazing animal. If, however, it is correct that it leaves _its dung in heaps like a haycock, then very definitely that is a habit that no practical farmer would wish to breed into our. own domestic animals, for the first essential of good husbandry is' the even distribution of animal droppings:
W. A.
DRURY
(Gisborne).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19530417.2.12.4
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 718, 17 April 1953, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
223GUANACOS, CAMELS AND COWS New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 718, 17 April 1953, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in