PIGS. 39 



The Pigs, or Suidte (Cases 37-40), are distinguished by their 

 long snout, flattened in front, small eyes, four-toed feet, short 

 tails, strongly- built bodies, and in disposition by their remarkable [Cases 

 courage arid ferocity. They are represented in the Old World 

 by the genus Sus, of which the Wild Boar of the continent of 

 Europe may be looked upon as the most typical species. This 

 animal, unlike its domesticated descendant, our Common Pig, is 

 covered all over with thick grizzled hair, has a longer arid narrower- 

 head, and great projecting tusks, with which it can rip up and kill 

 a man at a stroke. The species is spread all over Europe (now 

 exterminated in England), North Africa, and Western Asia, being 

 replaced in China and India by another very closely-allied animal, 

 almost identical in external appearance (Sus cristatus). 



Other noteworthy Old- World species are: The Papuan Pig (Sus 

 papuensis) of New Guinea (Case 38) ; the Wart-Hog (Phacochcerus) 

 and the peculiarly-coloured River-Hog (Potamochcerus) of Tropical 

 Africa (Cases 37 and 38); the Babirusa (Babirusa a?furus)of Celebes 

 (Case 40, above), an extraordinary hairless species, with long, 

 upwardly-curved tusks, which in old age may grow so long as to 

 describe an almost complete circle. The Pygmy Hog (Sus salvanius), 

 of Nepal and Assam, is noticeable for its diminutive size, being 

 seldom more than one foot in height and two in length; but is in 

 other respects quite similar to the ordinary Pigs. 



In the New World, Pigs are represented by the Peccaries 

 (Dicotyles) (Case 39), animals much smaller than an ordinary Wild 

 Boar, and differing in their skulls and dentition from the Old- World 

 Suidse. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the upper canine 

 teeth do not project outwards and upwards, and are therefore less 

 formidable weapons than the Boar's tusks ; but, notwithstand- 

 ing this, the Peccaries are more dangerous to man than any other 

 of the Pig-tribe, as they herd together in bands of from 15 to 40, 

 arid make most determined attacks on any person the moment they 

 are aware of his presence ; unless he is able to take refuge in a tree, 

 or to kill nearly the whole of the band, he is very likely to fall a 

 victim to their ferocity. They are themselves preyed upon by the 

 Jaguar and Anaconda. 



The second great group of the Artiodactyles consists of the 

 Ruminants, and contains (1) the Tylopoda or Camel tribe, (2) the 



