520 Great and Small Game of Africa 



find no evidence from personal observation that they will actually dig such 

 holes themselves. Though I have galloped after scores of them I have 

 never seen them break out of a swift trot. When thus running, the tail is 

 held upright, with just the tufted tip turned over. Every now and then, 

 when desirous of looking behind them, and being quite unable to turn 

 their heads in the ordinary way, owing to the shortness of their necks, they 

 raise their snouts and look back over their shoulders ; and anything more 

 ludicrously absurd than the picture thus presented cannot be imagined. 

 They always enter a burrow backwards, and if pursued seem to slew them- 

 selves round and disappear in the hole without halting for an instant. 

 Although I have seen many wart-hogs " bolted " from their burrows, I 

 have never witnessed the acrobatic teat ol throwing themselves over 

 backwards, which they are said to perform on such occasions. 



Wart-hogs usually run in pairs or in family parties, consisting of two 

 or three sows and their young ; old boars, however, are more or less 

 solitary throughout ten months of the year. It is a singular fact that 

 though the sow has but four teats and only brings forth three or four young 

 in a litter, six or eight such youngsters are often seen accompanying a 

 single sow. Is it possible some of these may be "adopted children"? 

 The sow always litters in a burrow of some sort. The flesh of a fat wart- 

 hog is very excellent eating, though a trifle hard ; that of a young one is 

 particularly tasty. 



It is poor fun shooting wart-hog, but good sport might be sometimes 

 obtained by riding them, but for their invariable custom of going to earth. 

 I have often tried it, using an assegai for a spear, but never drew blood. 

 They are easily killed with a bullet, and their smooth, gliding trot makes 

 them an easy mark even though going hard. They have not a fraction of 

 the pluck of a bush-pig, but are sufficiently vicious to be awkward 

 customers to knife when wounded. I have done this on several occasions, 

 but one requires to be quick about it, for they can bite most severely. 



