THE PECCARY. 751 



This animal is not devoid of sagacity, as was proved by Gordon Cumming : " I 

 selected the old boar for my prey, and immediately separated him from his comrades. 

 After ten miles of sharp galloping, we commenced ascending a considerable acclivity, 

 where I managed to close with him, and succeeding in turning his head towards my camp. 

 He now reduced his pace to a trot and regarded me with a most malicious eye, his mouth 

 a mass of foam. He was entirely in my power, as I had only to spring from my horse 

 and bowl him over. I felt certain of him, but resolved not to shoot as long as his course 

 lay in the direction of my wagon. At length, surprised at the resolute manner in which 

 he held for my camp, I headed him ; when, to my astonishment, he did not in the slightest 

 swerve from his course, but trotted along behind my horse like a dog following me. 

 This at once aroused my suspicions, and I felt certain that the cunning old fellow was 

 making for some retreat, so I resolved to dismount and finish him. Just, however, as 

 I had come to this resolution, I suddenly found myself in a labyrinth of enormous holes 

 the haunt of the ant-bear. In front of one of them the wild boar pulled up, and charg- 

 ing stern foremost into it, disappeared from my disappointed eyes and I saw him no 

 more. I rode home for my men ; and returning, we collected grass and bushes, and 

 tried to smoke him out but without success." 



VLACKE VARK. Phacochcerus /Bthiopicus. 



The structure of the teeth in this animal is very curious, and will repay examination. 

 Another species, the HARLUF or HAROJA (Phacoch&rus sEliani), belongs to the same 

 genus. This animal is sometimes known as the ^Ethiopian Wild Boar, or the Abyssinian 

 Phacochcere. 



AMERICA possesses a representative of the porcine group in the Peccaries, two species 

 of which animals inhabit the Brazils. 



The common PECCARY, or TAJACU, although it is of no very great dimensions, 

 resembling a small pig in size, is yet as terrible an animal as the Wild Boar of India 

 or the Phacochcere of Africa. Ever fierce and irritable of temper, the Peccary is as 

 formidable an antagonist as can be seen in any land, for it knows no fear, and will 

 attack any foe without hesitation. Fear is a feeling of which the Peccary is ignorant, 

 probably because its intellect is not of a very high order, and it is unable to com- 

 prehend danger. Although the Peccary is a very harmless animal to outward view, 



