MAMMALS OF THE MEXICAN BOUNDAEY. 167 



and Fossil creeks in Central Arizona. On the Mexican Bonndary 

 Line the species was found by us as far west as the Sonoyta Valley, 

 near the Mexican town of Santo Domingo, between which point and 

 the Pacific Ocean no trace of it was seen, although it reaches the Gulf 

 of California farther south in the strip of country named Seriland 

 by Dr. W J McGee. 



The late Maj. Charles E. Bendire shot peccaries during the period 

 from 1857 to 1859 near the spot where Lieutenant Gushing, of the 

 Third Cavalry, was killed by Indians in the "Whetstone Mountains 

 of Arizona, and also in the Chiricahua Mountains, and near the 

 old mission of San Xavier, in the Santa Cruz Valley. At the latter 

 place the major witnessed an amusing incident — the treeing of a negro 

 servant by a band of infuriated peccaries. Although stories of simi- 

 lar occurrences are commonly repeated by the white settlers of the 

 Southwest, this is the only instance of an attack made on man by 

 peccaries that has come to me on unimpeachable authority. I have 

 met with bands of peccaries on a few occasions, when some of them 

 were shot. They were always wild and shy, exerting themselves to 

 the utmost to escape, and paying no attention to the unfortunate ones 

 that were killed or wounded. In one instance, when hunting in the 

 Cobota Mountains, Sonora, in company with Lieut. William H. Bean, 

 of the "Second Cavalry, I wounded a female peccary standing in the 

 midst of a drove of them, with her young beside her. Although she 

 squealed loudly, the remainder of the band rushed off and left her. 

 A moment later we came upon her among the bushes and cacti, but 

 she arose and ■ escaped from us without attempting to defend her 

 young, which were no larger than cotton-tail rabbits. 



Although signs of peccaries were abundant in an extensive area of 

 oak scrub {Quercus emoryi) around Monument No. 64, at timber 

 line of the east base of the San Luis Mountains, the creatures were so 

 clever at hiding that none could be seen, although we frequently 

 came so near them that their peculiar odor was very evident. On 

 Silver Creek, in southeastern Arizona, these animals are periodically 

 abundant, and many have been killed by hunting parties from the 

 old post (now abandoned) of Fort Bowie. I have known expert 

 cowboys to ride them down, lasso and tie them, and so bring them 

 alive to camp. It is only by accident that they are discovered in 

 their retreats during the middle of the day; but at morning and 

 evening herds of them may be seen feeding in the open. They are 

 really pretty beasts, and make nice, gentle pets when taken young. 

 They are swift runners, though easily overtaken by a horse. The 

 sexes are practically of the same size, an adult male and female, 

 taken from the same herd on the San Bernardino River, weighing, 

 respectively, 46 and 44 pounds avoirdupois. 



