75* 



THE PECCARY. 



being only three feet long and weighing fifty or sixty pounds, and its armature consists 

 of some short tusks that are barely seen beyond the lips, yet these little tusks are as 

 fearful weapons as the eight-inch teeth of the vlacke vark, for they are shaped like a 

 lancet, being acutely pointed and doubled edged, so that they cut like knives and inflict 

 very terrible wounds. 



No animal seems to be capable of withstanding the united attacks of the Peccary, 

 even the jaguar being forced to abandon the contest, and to shrink from encountering 

 the circular mass of Peccaries as they stand with angry eyes and gnashing teeth 

 ready to do their worst on the foe. In Webber's Romance of Natural History there 

 is a very amusing account, too long to be quoted in this place, of the sudden con- 

 sternation that was caused during a bear hunt by the charge of a herd of Peccaries, 

 which came rushing over the very spot where the deadly struggle was being waged, 

 scattering men, dogs, and bear in a common confusion. The singular courage of this 

 animal seems, however, to be based in ignorance, for after a herd of Peccaries have been 

 frequently assailed by the hunter, they appear to learn the power of their adversaries, 

 and instead of charging at their opponents, make the best of their way to some place 

 of concealment. 



PECCARY.-Dicotyles Tajacu. 



The usual resting-place of the Peccary is in the hollow of a fallen tree, or in some 

 burrow that has been dug by an armadillo and forsaken by the original inhabitant. The 

 hollow tree, however, is the favorite resort, and into one of these curious habitations a 

 party of Peccaries will retreat, each backing into the aperture as far as he can penetrate 

 the trunk, until the entire hollow is filled with the odd little creatures. The one who 

 last enters becomes the sentinel, and keeps a sharp watch on the neighborhood. The 

 native hunters take advantage of this curious habit to immolate great numbers of these 

 animals. There are two methods of Peccary killing, one by the gun and the other by 

 the sword and pitchfork. 



In the former method the hunter takes up his temporary abode in some concealed 

 spot that commands the entrance of the tree or hole in which the Peccaries are 

 known to sleep. As soon as the sentinel has assumed its post, the hunter takes a 

 careful aim at the forehead, and kills it with a single ball. The wounded animal 

 cautiously leaps from the cover, and its place is immediately taken by its successor. The 



