BA.BYROUSSA. 189 



The sockets in which they are developed are curved 

 in such a way as to give the tusks an upward, instead 

 of a downward turn. They actually pass through 

 a pair of holes in the upper lip, and often grow to so 

 great a length, that their points almost touch the 

 forehead. The object of these remarkable tusks is at 

 present unknown, although the fact of their presence 

 is a proof that they subserve some definite purpose. 

 Generally, tusks are used as weapons ; but those of 

 the adult male Babyroussa are quite unavailable for 

 this purpose, as the points are so close to the forehead 

 that they cannot make the slightest wound. Indeed, 

 they only interfere with the action of the tusks of the 

 lower jaw. 



Some persons have thought that they are intended 

 as safeguards to the eyes when the animal is forcing its 

 way through the thick underwood. Perhaps they may 

 serve this purpose ; but that it is not the real object 

 of the tusks, is evident from the fact that the female, as 

 well as the male, has to force her way through under- 

 wood, and yet does not possess tusks in either jaw. 



The Babyroussa is one of the water-lovers, and has 

 many of the habits which have been narrated as be- 

 longing to the tapir and capybara. Like these 

 animals, it frequents the banks of rivers, and hides 

 itself among the foliage. Even when kept in cap- 

 tivity it preserves the habit, and is fond of gathering 

 up the litter into a corner, and then backing itself 

 into the heap with a movement very similar to that 

 by which a crab works its way beneath the sand. 



I have often seen a Babyroussa at the Zoological 

 Gardens perform this feat. The animal wriggles its 



