378 ANIMALS OF THE 



after, as an antidote to the poison of the animal 

 it had devoured, this part of the relation we may 

 very weli suspect. The flesh neither of the toad 

 nor viper, as every one now knows, are poison- 

 ous ; and therefore there is no need of a remedy 

 against their venom. Ray gives no credit to 

 either part of the account ; however, we can have 

 no reason to disbelieve that it feeds upon toads 

 and serpents ; it is only the making use of a ve- 

 getable antidote that appears improbable, and 

 which perhaps had its rise in the ignorance and 

 credulity of the natives. 



The peccary, like the hog, is very prolific j the 

 young ones follow the dam, and do not separate 

 till they have come to perfection. If taken at 

 first, they are very easily tamed, and soon lose all 

 their natural ferocity ; however, they never show 

 any remarkable signs of docility, but continue 

 stupid and rude, without attachment, or even 

 seeming to know the hand that feeds them. They 

 only continue to do no mischief, and they may 

 be permitted to run tame without apprehending 

 any dangerous consequences. They seldom stray 

 far from home ; they return of themselves to the 

 sty ; and do not quarrel among each other, ex- 

 cept when they happen to be fed in common. At 

 such times they have an angry kind of growl, 

 much stronger and harsher than that of a hog ; 

 but they are seldom heard to scream as the former, 

 only now and then, when frighted or irritated, 

 they have an abrupt angry manner of blowing 

 like the boar. 



