392 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



one of their number is wounded so that -it squeals, the 

 whole herd becomes ferocious, will charge their enemy 

 on sight, and speedily destroy him, unless he escapes by 

 climbing a tree or by 'flight. It has been stated by old 

 hunters that if the leader of the band is killed, the rest will 

 take to flight, while they will not do so though many of the 

 common herd be killed. This is contrary to all the experi- 

 ence I have ever had with them. They feed almost indis- 

 criminately on animal or vegetable substances, but it may 

 be considered that roots and grains form their principal 

 nutriment. 



Both varieties are gregarious, herds of from two to 

 three hundred being sometimes found in the far Southwest. 

 Where only a few are found together, the Mexican ranch- 

 men sometimes hunt them with dogs, but never when a 

 large herd is known to be in the country; for no ordinary 

 pack of dogs could live long in a contest with one of these 

 armies of savage, fearless brutes. The Wild Boar, the 

 European congener of the Peccary, furnishes exciting sport 

 when pursued by hounds; but a single one of these animals 

 will often kill several valuable dogs before himself yielding 

 to the combined attacks of the pack; and though the Pec- 

 cary is not nearly so large or so powerful, and though not 

 armed with the great tusks of the Boar, yet he is equally 

 ferocious, and when congregated in such great numbers, 

 they wage a most bitter and bloody war on any foe by 

 whom they may be attacked. 



Hunting the Peccary in Old Mexico is certainly excit- 

 ing enough for the average hunter. In the fall of 1880, I 

 left Hermosilla, the capital of the State of Sonora, with a 

 Mexican guide, to prospect in the Sierra Madre Mountains. 

 We had two pack-animals, two saddle-horses, and enough 

 provisions to last forty days, except meat. Our route lay 

 directly across the mountains. We were well armed, my 

 guide carrying a Long Tom, or Needle-gun, and a pair of 

 Colt's revolvers, while I had a pair of 44 Colt's and a 32-40 

 Marlin repeater (which rifle, by the way, is my favorite for 

 small game). 



