MAMMALS 43 



subject to periodic devastating epidemics is a fact 

 that becomes patent to any one who has occasion to 

 travel about much in the country; moreover, such 

 epidemics are frequently communicated to the domestic 

 pigs belonging to native tribes. 



The following incident, illustrating the gregarious 

 instinct of wild swine, is vouched for by one of the 

 most trustworthy naturalists of my acquaintance, Mr. 

 Ernest Hose, who was an actual eye-witness of the 

 scene. Hearing one day in the jungle, close to his 

 house at Santubong, a tremendous noise of wild pigs 

 grunting, snorting, and squealing, he ran out to see 

 what was the reason of it, and presently came on a 

 large Python that had seized a young pig and was endea- 

 vouring to crush it. The snake was surrounded by 

 a number of full-grown swine, which were goring it 

 with their tusks and trampling on it ; so resolute was 

 their attack that the Python was compelled to relin- 

 quish its hold of the loudly protesting young pig, 

 when the herd, catching sight of Mr. Hose, hastily 

 made off, the young one, apparently little the worse 

 for its adventure, trotting away with its companions. 

 Mr. Hose examined the snake, and found it to be so 

 slashed and mangled that it was unable to crawl away 

 from the scene of battle. 



In old jungle not uncommonly may be found areas 

 in which the ground appears trampled and the under- 

 growth broken and tossed on one side ; these are 

 the resting-grounds of Wild Boars or places where a 

 sow has given birth to her young. The unwary 

 traveller who sits down in one of these spots has 

 soon plentiful occasion to rue his lack of experience, 

 for they literally swarm with ticks and other parasites 



