144 



ORDEKS OF MAMMALS— HOOFED ANIMALS 



the sports of nature. The red river-hog, of West 

 Africa, is the most beautiful of all swine, and 

 its immaculate red coat, and long, slender ears 

 produced to infinity in the form of a waving 

 pencil of threadlike hairs, renders this animal 

 acceptable in any zoological garden. 



The Collared Peccary is our nearest and 

 best-known representative of the wild swine. 

 Its northern limit is the Red River, and the valley 

 of the Rio Grande, in Texas, and southward it 

 ranges to Patagonia. In northwestern Sonora, 

 it has recently been obtained by Dr. D. T. Mac- 

 Dougall in regions so dry, hot and barren of 

 vegetation that it was a surprise to find it there. 

 Its preference is for brushy, upland jungles, but 



COLLARED PECCARY. 



at the same time it frequents all available cover, 

 from the fruitful hard-wood forests of Arkansas 

 and Texas to the moist and hot jungles of Cen- 

 tral and South America. 



In Texas this animal is called the "Javelina," 

 and hunting it on horseback with dogs is a sport 

 not to be despised. When hotly pursued, the 

 Peccary of Texas gladly dives into any rocky 

 crevice or hole that is large enough to receive it. 

 Both jaws of this animal are provided with tusks, 

 of sufficient length and sharpness to make them 

 dangerous weapons. 



The courage and pugnacity of the Peccary are 

 well known, and when threatened with attack 

 by a drove, the boldest hunter does not hesitate 

 1 Tay'as-sv ta'ja-cu. 



to climb the best tree that happens to be avail- 

 able. An enraged Peccary, athirst for blood, 

 is to any one not armed with a rifle or a first- 

 rate spear a formidable antagonist. But for 

 their tusks and dauntless courage when attacked, 

 these animals could not have long survived in 

 forests infested by savage jaguars, pumas, wolves 

 and ocelots. Truly, it seems as if this species 

 represents the survival of one of the fittest. 



In our southwestern states the regular food 

 of the Peccary consists of acorns, pecans, farm- 

 ers' crops, seeds and edible roots of many kinds, 

 and (it is said) also frogs, lizards, snakes, and 

 all other ground animals it can catch. If the 

 musk gland situated on the top of the hind- 

 quarters is cut out as soon as a Peccary is killed, 

 the flesh will be saved from the musky flavor 

 and odor which without this precaution would 

 soon render it unpalatable. 



The Collared Peccary derives its name from 

 a ribbon-like band of white which encircles the 

 animal about where the neck joins the shoulders. 

 Other than this, the hair is of a black color, 

 sprinkled with gray. 



The White-Lipped Peccary 2 is a larger spe- 

 cies than the preceding, with white hair on its up- 

 per lips. It is found only as far north as south- 

 ern Mexico, but ranges southward to Paraguay. 



THE TAPIR FAMILY. 



Tapiridae. 



In all the world there are at least five species 

 of tapirs, only one of which is found in the Old 

 World. In southern Mexico and Central Amer- 

 ica, we know of the existence of a species called 

 Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdi), and in Central 

 America one known as Dow's Tapir (Tapirus 

 dowi), but of their life histories very little is 

 known, and at present it is impossible to describe 

 them adequately. 



The South American Tapir' is so frequently 

 seen in captivity, and is already so well known, 

 that it may well be chosen as the representative 

 of the only Family of odd-toed Ungulates ex- 

 isting on this continent. It takes kindly to cap- 

 tivity, grows rapidly, and always manages to 

 look well-fed, and as sleek as a seal. Its color 

 is a rich mahogany brown, its head is long and 

 triangular, and its long, prehensile nose, ever so- 

 liciting something to eat, is strongly suggestive 



2 Tay'as-su al-bi-ros' -ire . 3 Tap'i-rus ter-res'tris. 



