GHAP. iv.] WEST INDIES, 97 



The pecary, which was not known in the larger 

 islands, has been honoured with no less variety of 

 names than the agouti. According to Rochefort it 

 was also called javari and pacquire. By Dampier it 

 is named pclas. By Acosta saino and zaino. It is 

 the sus tajacu of Linnseus, and the pecary and Mex- 

 ican musk-hog of our English naturalists. 



Of this animal a very full and particular account 

 has been given by Mons. BufFon in his Natural His- 

 tory, and by Dr. Tyson in the Philosophical Transac- 

 tions. I have heard that it still abounds in many of 

 the provinces of Mexico; but in the West Indian 

 islands I believe the breed has been long since exter- 

 minated. Those that I have seen were carried thither 

 from the continent as objects of curiosity; and they 

 appeared to me to differ from the European hog, prin- 

 cipally, in the singular but well-known circumstance 

 of their having a musky discharge from an aperture 

 or gland on the back, erroneously supposed to be the 

 navel; and in the colour of their bristles; the pecary 

 being indeed highly ornamented; for the bristles of 

 those that I beheld, were of pale blue tipt with 

 white. It is also related of this animal, that it pos- 

 sesses far greater courage than the hog of Europe ; 

 and when hunted by dogs, will frequently turn and 

 compel its enemy to retreat. Thus its native brave- 

 ry bringing it within the reach of fire-arms, contribu- 

 ted doubtless to its final destruction in the islands. 



Of the armadillo, the species anciently known in 

 these islands was, I think, that which is called by syste- 

 Vol. I. N 



