188 



SUID.E.- 



-MAMMALIA. Suid^. 



writes as Mows—" The Malay Tapir resembles in 

 IVirm the American, and has a similar flexible proboscis, 

 which is six or eight niches in length. Its general 

 appearance is heavy and massive, somewhat resembKng 

 the hog. The eyes are small. The ears are romided 

 and bordered ^vith white. The skin is thick and firm, 

 thuily covered with short hair. There is no mane on 

 tlie neck, as in the American species. The tail is very 

 short, and almost destitute of haii-. The legs are short 

 and stout, the fore-feet furnished with four toes, tlio 

 Iiind feet vnth three." The most characteristic featiu-e, 

 however, has reference to the colour of the hide ; 

 which has a deep glossy black hue generally, but is 

 wliite on the rump, back, and sides of the belly, the 

 line of demarcation being clearly detuied. In the 

 young state it is for the first three or four months more 

 uniformly blackish above and white miderncatli, being 

 at the same tune " beautifully marked with spots 

 and stripes of a fa\vn colour." The yomig specimen 

 domesticated by Mr. Farquhar became so exceedingly 

 famUiar, that it was wont to feed, hke a petted dog, on 

 bread, cake, and all kinds of vegetables. A full-grown 

 female measures upwards of eight feet from tlie tip of 

 the nose to the base of the tail. The male is some- 

 what smaller. 



Family V.— SUID^. 



The various members of this family are familiariy 

 known as swme, and are with few exceptions charac- 

 terized by the possession of four toes on each foot, the 

 anterior digits bcmg fnrnislicd vnth strong hoof's ; while 



the posterior pair, which barely reach the ground, are 

 likewise ungulated (Plate 33, fig. 108). The number of 

 teeth varies ; but the canines of the male are usually 

 more or less conspicuous externally. The head is pro- 

 longed in front into a mobile truncate, snout. The tail, 

 on the other hand, is short, or only rudimentary. The 

 skull presents the form of a quadrangular pyramid, 

 whose apex is represented by the extended muzzle. In 

 the wild state swuie are mostly found in low marshy 

 forests. 



THE WILD BOAB (Sus Scrofa) is the progenitor of 

 all our common swine ; in form and general appear- 

 ance it does not differ very materially from our 

 domestic hog (fig. 72), which has the sluJI rather 

 more elevated. When provided with its full comple- 

 ment of teeth there are twelve incisors, equally divided 

 above and below; four exserted, prism-shaped, recurved 

 canines, and twenty-eight molars — m ah, forty-four. 

 The premolars are more or less compressed ; the 

 posterior gi'inders bcmg tuberculated. The Wild Boar 

 is an inhabitant of the forests of Asia and Europe 

 generally ; and although no loiiger loiown in this 

 comitry, it was formerly found in Great Britam, and 

 probably also in Sweden and Denmark. It is an 

 exceedingly fierce and vindictive animal, capable of 

 inflicting severe woxmds on its enemies — be they men, 

 horses, or tigers. It is doubtful whether the hunter 

 experiences so much danger in pursuing tbe larger 

 Carnivora as he docs in chasing tlic wfld hog. In 

 India, however, tliis sport is much in vogue, and 

 attended with varied excitement. During the hunt, 

 " it is extremely conmion to see a party divide after 



The T^imc Boar (Sus Scrofa). 



various hogs, either started at the first from the same 

 cover, or roused in the progress of chasing a single one. 

 \Vhere it is luiown that two or more are in the bund, 

 cane, &c., which is lieating, a portion of the horse- 

 men follow the horse that starts, leaving tiieir comrades 

 to manage the remainder. Nothing can exceed the 

 interest created when, as sometimes occurs, two or 

 three parties are following each their respective game. 

 Some may be seen spurring on with the utmost 



energy; otliers pulling hard to restrain their frightened 

 or too impetuous steeds ; perhaps one or more in difl'ei'- 

 ent stages of faUing ; others stopping to dismoimt and 

 recover spears which had missed their object ; and 

 eventually a successful Nimrod triumphing over his 

 fallen victim." Captain Williamson also adds, that 

 " hunted hogs, and indeed sometimes as a matter of 

 capi'ice those not disturbed, will attack any object they 

 may chance to see, such as peasants, cattle, &c. They 



