PIGS 283 



became nocturnal; but we often saw them abroad at mid- 

 day, although their favorite times for roaming and feeding 

 were in the morning and afternoon. They frequently 

 rooted up the ground, going down on their knees; but even 

 more frequently they cropped grass like a zebra or harte- 

 beest. Their food is purely vegetable. They live in bur- 

 rows, which they invariably enter backward, so as to pre- 

 sent to any enemy a front of teeth which would daunt the 

 most ferocious. No matter how headlong the speed of a 

 hunted pig it will always turn and slip backward into its 

 hole, with jack-in-the-box agility. Once we saw a young 

 boar thus disappear, and immediately afterward reappear 

 as if shot out of a catapult; evidently the burrow was 

 already inhabited by another pig, which had savagely as- 

 sailed the hind quarters of the intruder. When close pressed 

 they will charge valiantly; but they are certainly nothing 

 like as savage as peccaries. We found a sow with very 

 young pigs in November on the Uasin Gishu; but appar- 

 ently they breed at all seasons. In galloping after a boar we 

 noticed that in trying to look back at his pursuer he lifted 

 his snout, not turning his head to one side. When in mo- 

 tion wart-hogs always carry the tail straight up, the tassel 

 perhaps falling forward. They are easily tamed, and make 

 amusing pets owing to their continuous grotesque starts 

 and grunts. They often become exceedingly attached to 

 their owners. At the McMillans' place the cheetahs and 

 wart-hogs were as safe companions as the gazelles ; whereas 

 nobody could touch the leopards; and elsewhere we found 

 that the zebras and hartebeests were apt to be dangerous 

 when they became tame. 



