CHAPTER XL 



MAMMALIA. 



THE SAVAGE INHABITANTS OF THE AMAZONIAN VALLEY. 



1 [ILL of animal life as are the forests of South America, 

 the number of species of what are generally called 

 wild beasts is remarkably small. Four only are cap- 

 able of attacking man the jaguar, the puma, the great ant- 

 eater, and the savage little peccary, with its lancet-like tusks. 

 The first only is universally dreaded ; the puma flies when 

 bravely confronted ; the great ant-eater is not dangerous, 

 except to those who get within its reach ; and the peccary is 

 dreaded chiefly when hunting in a pack, as it does, like the 

 wolf. The burly tapir, the largest animal of the continentr 

 though a hippopotamus would look at it with contempt is 

 perfectly harmless ; and, with the exception of a few species of 

 tiger-cats, nearly all the other Mammalia are rodents, or belong 

 to the order Quadrumana. The latter are by far the most 

 numerous inhabitants of its wide-extending forests. It is 

 especially the country of monkeys, where they have arrived 

 at their highest development. Several of the species are not 

 only furnished with four hands, but they have tails which 



