144 
ORDERS 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-su ta'jn-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 1 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'-tre. 3 Tap'i-rus ter-res'tris. 
