1024 



THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



Use of Tusks 



the animal is rushing through dense forest; but if this were so, as Mr. Wallace points 

 out, how are we to account for the slight development of these organs in the sows. 

 On the whole, the same observer considers it most probable that 

 the tusks were at one period useful to their owner, and were then 

 kept of moderate size by mutual attrition, but that, for some reason or other, they 

 have become of no benefit to the animal, and have assumed a monstrous growth like 

 that occuring in the lower tusk of a wild boar when the corresponding upper one 

 has been accidentally broken off. 



The natives of Celebes organize carefully-planned hunts for the cap- 

 ture of the babiroussa, an account of one of these being given by Dr. 

 Ouillemard in the following words: "The animals being driven into a corral, 

 with a V-shaped opening and flanked by netting, we had plenty of time to wait be- 

 fore the sport began, and meanwhile the natives arranged themselves at their posts. 

 One stood at the door of the corral, ready to close it directly any animal rushed in; 

 others took up their places on either side of the wide entrance, while the remainder 

 crouched in front of the long net at intervals of a few yards, each grasping his 

 spear, and hidden from view by a huge L,ivistonia (a kind of palm) frond. We 



had not long been 

 settled before a 

 peculiar barking 

 grunt in the dis- 

 tance announced the 

 arrival of the first 

 victim. Everyone 

 was instantly mo- 

 tionless, and di- 

 rectly afterward a 

 dark object dashed 

 up at great speed 

 and buried itself in 

 the net a short way 

 down the slope. 

 There was a short 

 struggle, and in less 

 than five minutes 

 the captive, a full- 

 grown female babi- 

 roussa, was quietly reposing on her back, with her legs tied together with rattan, and 

 we were once more in ambush for the next comer. We were hardly quiet before 

 the same peculiar sound was heard rapidly approaching, and the next moment a 

 magnificent old boar babiroussa rushed past within five yards of us, and plunged into 

 2 net between our tree and the entrance to the corral. His long tusks became 

 entangled in the meshes, and the natives ran up to spear him. Just at this moment, 

 lowever, he broke loose, and, turning on his antagonists, scattered them in all direc- 

 tions. It was a most determined charge, and, as we were unable to fire for fear of 



SKTJU, OK BABIROUSSA. 

 (From Guillemard's Cruise of the "Marchesa.") 



