CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PECCARY 123 



to be available. An enraged Peccary, athirst for blood, is 

 to any one not armed with a rifle or a first-rate spear a for- 

 midable antagonist. But for their tusks and dauntless cour- 

 age when attacked, these animals could not have long sur- 

 vived in forests infested by savage jaguars, pumas, wolves 

 and ocelots. Truly, it seems as if this species represents the 

 survival of one of the fittest. 



In our southwestern states the regular food of the Peccarv 

 consists of acorns, pecans, farmers' crops, seeds and edible 

 roots of many kinds, and (it is said) also frogs, lizards, snakes 

 and all other ground animals it can catch. If the musk gland 

 situated on the top of the hind quarters is cut out as soon as 

 a Peccary is killed, the flesh will be saved from the musky 

 flavor and odor which without this precaution would soon 

 render it unpalatable. 



The Collared Peccary derives its name from a ribbon-like 

 band of white which encircles the animal about where the 

 neck joins the shoulders. Other than this, the hair is of a 

 black color, sprinkled with gray. 



The White-Lipped Peccary 1 is a much larger species 

 than the preceding, with white hair on its upper lips. It is 

 found only as far north as southern Mexico, but ranges 

 southward to Paraguay. 



Living specimens rarely reach zoological gardens, and 

 during the first thirteen years of its existence the New York 

 Zoological Park never succeeded in securing even one speci- 

 men. 



1 Tay'as-su al-bi-ros'tre. 



