282 



ANIMALS OF 



try, as appears from the laws of Hoeldda,' the 

 famous Welch legislator, who permitted his 

 grand huntsman to chase that animal from the 

 middle of November to the beginning of De- 

 cember. William the Conqueror also punish- 

 ed such as were convicted of killing the wild 

 boar in his forests, with the loss of their eyes. 

 At present, the whole wild breed is extinct; 

 but no country makes greater use of the tame 

 kinds, as their flesh, which bears salt better 

 than that of any other animal, makes a prin- 

 cipal part of the provisions of the British navy. 



As this animal is a native of almost every 

 country, there are some varieties found in the 

 species. That which we call the East India 

 breed, is lower, less furnished with hair, is 

 usually black, and has the belly almost touch- 

 ing the ground ; it is now common in England ; 

 it fattens more easily than the ordinary kinds, 

 and makes better bacon. 



There is a remarkable variety of this ani- 

 mal about Upsal, b which is single-hoofed, 

 like the horse ; but in no other respect dif- 

 fering from the common kinds. The autho- 

 rity of Aristotle, who first made mention of 

 this kind, has been often called into question ; 

 some have asserted, that such a quadruped 

 never existed, because it happened not to 

 fall within the sphere of their own confined 

 observation ; however, at present, the animal 

 is too well known to admit of any doubt con- 

 cerning it. The hog common in Guinea dif- 

 fers also in some things from our own ; though 



sh a ped exactly as ours, it is of a reddish colour, 

 wiih long ears, which end in a sharp point, 

 and a tail which hangs down to the pastern; 

 the whole body is covered with short red 

 shining hair, without any bristles, but pretty 

 long near the tail. Their flesh is said to be 

 excellent, and they are very tame. 



All these, from their near resemblance to 

 the hog, may be considered as of the same 

 species; the East Indian hog, we well know, 

 breeds with the common kind; whether the 

 same obtains between it, and those of Upsal 

 and Guinea, we cannot directly affirm; but 

 where the external similitude is so strong, we 

 may be induced to believe that the appetites 

 and habits are the same. It is true, we are 

 told, that the Guinea breed will not mix with 

 ours, but keep separate, and herd only toge- 

 ther : however, this is no proof of their diver- 

 sity, since every animal will prefer its own 

 likeness in its mate ; arid they will then only 

 mix with another sort, when deprived of the 

 society of their own. These, therefore, we 

 may consider as all of the hog kind ; but 

 there are other quadrupeds, that, in general, 

 resemble this species, which, nevertheless, 

 are very distinct from them. Travellers, in- 

 deed, from their general form, or from their 

 habits and way of living, have been content 

 to call these creatures hogs also ; but upon 

 a closer inspection, their differences are found 

 to be such as entirely to separate the kinds, 

 and make each a distinct animal by itself. 



CHAPTER XLVI1. 



THE PECCARY, OR TAJACU. 



THAT animal which of all others most re- 

 sembles the hog, and yet is of a formation very 

 distinct from it, is called the peccary, or tajacu. 

 It is a native of America, and found there, in 

 such numbers, that they are seen in herds of 

 several hundreds together, grazing among the 

 woods, and inoffensive, except when offended. 



The peccary, at first view, resembles a 

 small hog ; the form of its body, the shape of 



British Zoology, vol. i. p. 44. 



its head, the length of its snout, and the form 

 of its legs, are entirely alike : however, when 

 we come to examine it nearer, the differences 

 begin to appear. The body is not so bulky; 

 its legs not so long; its bristles much thicker 

 and stronger than those of the hog, resem- 

 bling rather the quills of a porcupine, than 

 hair ; instead of a tail, it has only a little fleshy 

 protuberance, which does not even cover its 



b Amsenit. Acad. vol. v. p. 465. 



