238 COLLARED PECCARY. 



retention for only a single hour gives the meat so strong an odour that it 

 can scarcely be eaten. 



The only recent account we have thus far received, that contains 

 original and authentic information about this singular wild hog, was fur- 

 nished us by Mr. William P. Smith. He had been sent to this country 

 by our ever kind friend, the Right Honourable the Earl of Derby, for the 

 purpose of procuring living animals to enrich his collection at Knowsley, 

 near Liverpool. We engaged him also to obtain for us any rare species 

 he could meet wth in Texas, and to send descriptions of their habits, 

 and any other information likely to be of interest to the readers of this 

 work. Mr. Smith went to Texas in 1841, and shortly afterwards sent us 

 the following account of the Peccary. He says, — 



" The Mexican hogs previous to the overflowing of the bottom lands in 

 1833, struck terror into the hearts of the settlers in their vicinity, often- 

 times pursuing the planter whilst hunting or in search of the lost track 

 of his wandering cattle — at which time they frequently killed his dogs, 

 or even at times forced him to ascend a tree for safety, where he would 

 sometimes be obliged to wait until the hogs got tired of dancing attend- 

 ance at the foot of his place of security, or left him to go and feed. These 

 animals appeared quite savage, and would, after coming to the tree in 

 which the planter had ensconced himself, snap their teeth and run about 

 and then lie down at the root of the tree to wait for their enemy to come 

 down. At this early period of the settlement of Texas, (this refers to 

 1833,) they used to hunt this animal in companj^. From five to fifteen 

 planters together, and occasionally a larger number of hunters, would 

 join in the pursuit of these ravagers of their corn-fields, in order to 

 diminish their number and prevent their farther depredations, as at times 

 they would nearly destroy a farmer's crop. Since this time, however, 

 their number has greatly decreased, and it is now a difficult matter to 

 find them." 



" On some parts of the Brazos they still exist, and in others are qviite 

 abundant." 



Mr. Smith further says, " The two I send you are the only ones I have 

 heard of since my arrival in this country. I happened with the assist- 

 ance of a person, to find out their lair, which is alwa)fs in some hollow 

 tree, although they have many sleeping places. Being late in the day 

 I was determined not to disturb them until a more favourable time would 

 present itself, as I was anxious, if possible, to procure them alive. Some 

 time passed, and everything being ready, the dogs soon compelled them 

 to make for home, when they having entered, we secured the entrance of 

 their hole, and cut a large opening up the body of the tree, a few feet 



