THE HOG TRIBE. 15 



THE PHACO-CHOERES. There are two recognized species of this 

 rariety of the hog family, the one found in Guinea and the interior 

 of the Cape, and spoken of by various writers as the Wark-hog, and 

 the other first seen in Kordofan and afterwards in several parts of 

 Abyssinia, and referred to by ^Elian as the hog with four horns. 

 Of the habits of these creatures little is known, save that they are 

 inhabitants of forests, and their food is vegetable. 



They are remarkable for the two warts or fleshy excrescences 

 which disfigure the face on either side ; the eyes are small ; a 

 bristly mane of a pale brown color rises between the ears and ex- 

 tends itself along the back, many of the hairs of which are from 

 eight to ten inches in length ; the body is bare ; the tail thin and 

 terminated by a tuft of hair ; and the tusks very large and powerful. 



THE CAPIBARA is an animal which is often classed by modern zoo- 

 logists among the Cavies ; it also resembles a two-year old hog in shape 

 and color, but its head is longer, its eyes larger, and its nose cleft 

 like the lip of a rabbit, instead of being round. It has thick, coarse 

 whiskers, a narrow mouth, and no tusks. The front hoofs are divid- 

 ed into four parts, and the back ones into three, and these divisions 

 or toes are connected together by skin, and thus in a manner web- 

 bed, and adapted for swimming; indeed so much does it delight in 

 the water that by some it has been called the water-hog. It lives 

 upon fruit, corn, and sugar-canes, and eats all the fish it can catch. 

 These animals associate in herds and seldom go out of their lair 

 excepting in the night time, or quit the borders of some lake or 

 river, for their short legs and strangely-formed feet prevent them 

 %>m running with any degree of speed, so their only safety is in the 

 water, wherein they plunge on the least alarm* 



If taken young this animal may easily be tamed, and is capable 

 of great attachment. We are informed that its flesh is tender, juicy, 

 and fat, but has a fishy flavor; the head is, however, said to be 

 excellent. 



Cuvier refuses to admit this last-mentioned animal among the 

 PAQHYDERMATA, but places it in the order RODENTIA, genus Cavia. 



The animal, too, so well known to us by the name of Guinea-pig, 

 or among the French as the Cochon cTInde, he also classes among 

 the Rodentia. (Cuvier's Animal Kingdom.) 



The name Hog has been given by different nations to various 

 animals which have no affinity whatever with the actual family Sus: 

 thus the Spaniards call the tatous, hogs in armor ; the Hollanders 

 term the porcupine, the iron-hog; the porpoise has frequently been 

 designated the sea-hog ; and Aristotle speaks of a hog-ape, which 

 has been since supposed to refer to one of the baboon tribe ; while 

 among our common animals we have the hedge-hog. This has led to 

 much confusion and misapprehension ; but the genus Suidae or Sus 

 is now very generally allowed to apply only to the actual swine as 



