THE HIPPOPOTAMI. 



549 



they reach a field, they cross it at a run, and if they 

 arrive at the banks of a river, they do not hesitate an 

 instant, but swim across it. I saw them crossing the 

 Paraguay River at a place where it required about 

 half an hour to do so. The herd keeps together in 

 a close throng, the males in advance, each mother 

 female having her young behind her. The noise 

 made by the herd can be heard from afar, not only 

 on account of the dull, hoarse sounds rriade by the 

 animals, but still more by reason of the crackling of 

 the branches which they break in their impetuous 

 progress." 



The Peccaries search for food both day and night, 

 and it is probably the lack of suitable food which 

 actuates them in their more extensive wanderings. 

 All kinds of arboreal fruit and roots furnish their 

 usual fare. Their teeth are so strong that, as 

 Schomburgk says, they can easily open the hardest 

 of palm-seeds. In inhabited countries they fre- 

 quently make inroads on plantations and do great 

 mischief to the crops. They are said also to eat 

 Snakes, Lizards, worms and grubs, besides vege- 

 table food. In their move- 

 ments and character they ex- 

 hibit an affinity to the Wild 

 Boars, but show neither the 

 voracity nor uncleanliness of 

 the latter; for they never eat 

 more than they require and 

 seek water only during pe- 

 riods of the most intense 

 heat, and then they wallow 

 only in pools. During the 

 day they hide in hollow tree- 

 trunks or between loose roots; 

 when they are hunted, they 

 always flee to such hiding 

 places. Their perceptive 

 senses are weak, their mental 

 capacity slight. The senses 

 of hearing and smell seem to 

 be best developed, but that 

 of sight is very poor. 



"The White-lipped Pecca 

 ries," says Rengger, "are ex- 

 tensively hunted, partly for 

 the sake of their flesh, and 

 partly because they are so 



They are usually tracked in the woods by Dogs and 

 killed with fire-arms or spears. If they are in the 

 habit of invading a certain plantation, the planter 

 digs a pit, which may be as deep as nine feet, on that 

 portion of his possessions through which they are 

 wont to pass as they take their departure. He then 

 waits for them to put in an appearance, and when 

 they come he drives them towards the pit, with the 

 help of Dogs and Men, who raise a great outcry; if 

 the herd is numerous, the pit is sometimes half filled 

 with them. The Indians catch them with snares." 



The female gives birth to a single young one, or 

 in some rare cases two; the little ones follow their 

 mothers perhaps as early as the first day, but cer- 

 tainly in a very short time after their birth. These 

 little Peccaries do not grunt, but cry somewhat like 

 Goats. They are tamed without trouble and be- 

 come true domestic animals if accorded good treat- 

 ment. 



The skin of the Peccaries is principally used for 

 bags and thongs, the flesh being eaten by the poorer 

 classes. It has an agreeable taste which has, how- 

 ever, no resemblance to pork. 



Gbc IMppopotami. 



NINTH FAMILY: Hippopotamid^. 



The Hippopotamus {Hippopotamus amphibius) is 

 very much clumsier than any of the other Artiodac- 

 tyla and is, besides one much smaller relative (the 

 Liberian Hippopotamus, which is yet little known, 

 and occurs in Upper Guinea) the only living repre- 

 sentative of a distinct family, the Hippopotami (Hip- 

 popotamidce). The ancient Egyptians, who called the 

 uncouth giant "River-Hog," were much more cor- 

 rect in their appellation than the Greeks, who 

 called it "River-Horse," or the Arabs, who call it 

 "Water-Buffalo;" for if the Behemoth mentioned in 

 the Bible can be compared to any animal, that ani- 

 mal is the Swine. 



General Character- From a purely external considera- 



istics of the Hip- tion the head differs more than any- 



popotamus. thing else from all others mammals. 



It is distinguished by its nearly rectangular shape, 



and by the small ears and eyes, as well as the ob- 



hurtful to the crops. 



THE COLLARED PECCARY. Though placed with«the Swine in scientific classification, the Pec- 

 caries have many peculiarities. The Collared Peccary has a peculiarly shaped head, rough, bristly coat, and 

 short tail which are among its most characteristic features. (Dicotyles torqualus.) 



liquely placed, large nostrils of a curved, slit-like 

 shape, which, together with the other organs of 

 sense, form the highest points of a plane, below 

 which lie the forehead and facial part. The head is 

 also characterized by the shapeless muzzle, the thick, 

 smooth upper part of which is rather narrow pos- 

 teriorly, broadens and becomes thicker in front, 

 and is abruptly cut off, giving to the beast a thick 

 upper lip which covers and closes the hideous mouth 

 from all sides. The neck is short and stout, the 

 body long, but at the same time thickened out of 

 all proportion and therefore inordinately clumsy; 

 the back is higher at the croup than at the withers, 

 and depressed in the middle, and the abdomen is 

 full and round, and so pendulous as to touch the 

 earth when the animal walks on muddy ground. 

 The tail is short and thin, and towards the extremity 

 laterally compressed; and the disproportionately 

 short, shapeless legs have broad, four-toed feet, the 

 digits being joined by short webs and all directed 

 forward. The extremity of the tail alone has short, 

 wiry bristles. The remainder of the hide, which is 

 nearly an inch thick and is characterized by several 

 deep folds, especially on the neck and chest, is very 



