PEC ARIES. 183 



interesting particulars occur in the biographical 

 notices of these recently discovered quadrupeds. 



Both species inhabit forest land. "Waterton fre- 

 quently saw herds, consisting of several hundreds, 

 traversing the wilds of Demerara and New Guiana; 

 and while thus migrating from one favourite 

 haunt to another, they often fall a prey to the In- 

 dians, who shoot them with poisoned arrows. When 

 one of the company is alarmed, by an unusual 

 sight or sound, he makes a signal by striking the 

 ground with his feet, which signal is repeated by 

 the rest; each one is immediately on the alert, and 

 the whole party speedily surround the offender, 

 whether he be weak or strong, whether a jaguar or 

 a puma, or even man himself. The danger is then 

 great. Woe to the hunter if no tree is within reach, 

 or if, when firing, he has not killed the leader; Peca- 

 ries do not regard the loss of common lives, and as 

 the herd diminishes, the fury of the survivors aug- 

 ments; but if the leader falls they take to flight. 

 The jaguar, the great predatory of the American 

 forest, is often seen to follow these herds in silence, 

 and to seize the opportunity of some individual 

 being in the rear to attack and kill him; when 

 this is done, he springs into the nearest tree, till 

 the troop have passed and left their dead compa- 

 nion. 



The White-lipped Pecary, on the contrary, not 

 availing himself of the benefit which results from 

 combined efforts, flies at the first attack, and only 

 defends himself when reduced to the last extremity. 

 He is seen generally with one, or at most with few 

 companions ; he keeps apart from the more sociable 



