12 THE HOG. 



in the male babiroussa those of the upper jaw pierce through the skin 

 of the snout, and are greatly elongated. The eyes are small, but quick 

 and shrewd in expression ; the ears are moderate, erect, and pointed. 

 The tongue is elongated and smooth. The tail is short, slender, and 

 apparently of little utility. The senses of smell, sight, and taste are 

 in high perfection, more especially that of smell, and the olfactory 

 nerves are large. The sense of hearing is acute. In their diet the 

 suidce are omnivorous, vegetable and animal substances being equally 

 acceptable ; still it is on vegetable aliment that they chiefly feed. The 

 skin is coarse, covered with bristles, and destitute, or nearly so, of 

 the subcutaneous muscular expansion common to most other animals, 

 termed the panniculus carnosus, and so highly developed in the hedge- 

 hog. On looking at the skull we find its base or occipital portion 

 forming a right angle with the obliquely rising upper surface, and a 

 bold transverse ridge is formed by the union of the occipital to the 

 parietal bones, which latter advance above the frontal bones, and 

 form the most elevated portion of the skull. The nasal bones are 

 prolonged to the end of the snout, and the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw is consolidated. In proportion to the elevation of the occipital 

 bone are the length and strength of the spinous processes of the 

 dorsal vetebrae. Those of the anterior dorsal vertebrae in particu- 

 lar are remarkable for their development, and indicate the volume 

 of the muscles for supporting and moving the head. These are the 

 agents by which the dreadful tusks are brought into play. Rushing 

 on his antagonist, the boar strikes obliquely upwards, right and left, 

 with irresistible violence, in a direction harmonizing with that of the 

 tusks, and in the mode best suited for the exertion of the animal's 

 strength. The neck is short, and with this shortness is necessarily 

 connected that of the limbs, and especially of the interior pair, 

 otherwise the animal would not without difficulty reach the ground 

 with its snout. Their strength must be in proportion to the weight 

 to be sustained, and the weight depends upon the size of the head 

 and the muscular development of the neck and shoulders. 



All this species feed on plants, and especially on roots, which their 

 snout or trunk enables them to grub out of the earth ; they will 

 devour animal substances, but rarely hunt or destroy animals for 

 the purpose of devouring them. They are thick skinned; said 

 to be obtuse in most of their faculties, excepting in the olfactory 

 and oral senses ; voracious, bold in defending themselves ; and de- 

 light in humid and shady places. 



To this order belong the elephant, the rhinoceros, the hippopo 

 tamus, &c., the general characteristics of all of which are very 

 similar. 



From among the cloven-footed or many-toed animals of the 

 pachydermatous order of mammalia, man has subjugated and re- 

 claimed only two v\&. t the hog and the elephant. 



