72 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



the lower pair with the precision of scissors-blades. In 

 addition, the lower jaw develops two long, blunt-pointed, 

 ivory spikes, which are scarcely less to be dreaded. With 

 these weapons the bulls fight furiously, and it is no un- 

 common thing to find vanquished males frightfully 

 mauled, the hide being lacerated from head to tail. 

 Protection, in a measure, is afforded by its enormous 

 thickness, but the great folds and pleats of skin seen 

 in the Rhinoceros are never developed. The females, 

 however, are similarly armed, and the teeth are nearly as 

 large as in the males, which is a rather unusual occurrence. 

 The Swine, which are near relations of the Hippopotamus, 

 in like manner develop huge pointed canines, and these 

 reach their maximum in the great Wart-hogs of Africa. 

 But in the swine the mechanism differs, for although 

 the canines are closely opposed, the shaft of the upper 

 teeth curves upwards, and the lower teeth are much 

 smaller than the upper. In fighting, these animals do 

 not bite, like the Hippopotamus, but use the upper 

 canines to rip up their antagonist with a sudden, swift 

 upward and sideways movement of the head. How 

 dangerous is the wound thus inflicted those who have 

 hunted the wild-boar know well. A curious exaggeration 

 of this arrangement of the teeth is seen in the Babiroussa. 

 Herein the upper canines grow directly upwards, actually 

 piercing the upper lip as in the case of the downwardly 

 growing tusks of the elephant. That these teeth, how- 

 ever, are of any service in fighting is doubtful, for the 

 upper tooth curves upwards and backwards in a semi- 

 circle so that the points are harmless. The tusks of the 

 lower jaw, however, are extremely long and pointed, 

 though their wounding power is limited by reason of 

 the upper teeth. This may account for the fact that 



