7 THE RHINOCEROS. 753 
hunter instantly reloads his rifle, and kills the second Peccary in like manner. In this 
way he will kill the entire family without giving the alarm. If the slain animal should 
not leap from the hollow, but fall dead at ‘its post, the carcase is pushed out of the hole 
by the next in succession, who then assumes the part of sentinel without displaying any 
alarm. The other method requires the co-operation of two hunters, and is managed by 
one getting above the mouth of the hole and pinning the foremost Peccary to the ground 
with a pitchfork, while the other despatches it with a sword. 
The food of the common Peccary is of a very varied character, and consists of fruits, 
seeds, grain, roots, reptiles, small birds and their eggs, and, indeed, of almost anything 
vegetable or animal which can be swallowed. The flesh of the Peccary is not of much 
value, as during many parts of the year it is wholly uneatable, on account of an odoriferous 
gland in the back, which taints the meat to such an extent that it cannot be eaten. The 
flesh of the male is at all times very unpleasant, but that of the female is in some months 
tolerably good, and has been compared to that of the hare. At the best, however, it is dry 
and insipid, as there is no fat or lard to be found in the Peccary. In all cases, the gland 
must be removed as soon as the animal is dead, for if it be permitted to remain but for 
a single hour, its effects will be perceptible throughout the entire body. 
The common Peccary is not so harmful to the agriculturist as its large relation, and as 
it destroys such large numbers of reptiles, is probably rather beneficial than otherwise. 
The colour of the Peccary is a grizzled brown, with the exception of a white stripe that is 
drawn over the neck, and has earned for the animal the name of the Collared Peccary. 
The TAGNICATE, or WHITE-LIPPED PeEccARY, is larger than the preceding animal, 
assembles in larger herds, is fiercer in its disposition, and “works more woe to the farmer, 
The White- lipped Peceary derives its name from a band of white hairs that crosses the 
upper jaw, and covers nearly the whole of the lower. The colour of the adult animal is 
black-brown, flecked with a grey grizzle, but when young it is striped after the manner 
of the bosch-vark. A slight mane runs along its neck, and its ears are fringed with 
long and stiff hairs. It is a most mischievous animal, as it makes long marches over the 
country, 1 ravaging the crops in its progress, and always choosing, with a perversely excellent 
taste, the best maize and grass. The ery of the Peccary is a sharp shrill grunt. When 
angry, the Peccary clashes its teeth smartly together, producing a sound which is 
recognisable at some distance, and is very useful to the hunters, as it serves to give timely 
notice of the animal’s approach, 
The generic name, Dicotyles, signifies “double-cupped,” and is given to the animal 
on account of the peculiar open gland upon the back. This species is a good swimmer, 
and often crosses rivers of its own accord. As, however, it loses all its offensive powers 
while in the water, the Indians watch the opportunity, and by dashing among the floating 
animals, kill as many as they choose without any danger. 
SEVERAL species of the RatNoceros are still inhabitants of the north, and several 
others have long been extinct, and can only be recognised by means of their fossilized 
remains. Of the existing species, two or three are fo sand in various parts of Asia and its 
islands, and the remainder inhabit several portions of Africa. Before examining the 
separate species, we will glance at some of the characteristics which are common to all 
the members of this very conspictious group. 
The so-called horn which projects from the nose of the Rhinoceros is a very remarkable 
structure, and worthy of a brief notice. It is in no way connected with the skull, but is 
simply a growth from the skin, and may take rank with hairs, spines, or quills, being 
indeed formed after a similar manner. If a Rhinoceros horn be examined—the species of 
its owner is quite immaterial—it will be seen to be polished and smooth at the tip, but 
rough and split into numerous filaments at the base. These filaments, which have a very 
close resemblance to those which terminate the plates of whale-bone, can be stripped 
upwards for some length, and if the substance of the horn be cut across, it will be seen 
to be composed of a vast number of hairy filaments lying side by side, which, when 
submitted to the microscope, and illuminated by polarized light, glow with all the colours 
lg 3 
