228 
JELIANS’ WART-HOG. 
this ancient author had a not-to-be-mistaken 
knowledge of our species. ./Elian de Aninialiura 
Natura, liber xvii. cap 10, says : — “ A tyu '& A inn 
tv AsSiova yins Sau to u; rous [imbyt sjws, xai 
■xobftctra, fglwv grin •\J//Xa roiyag Os xa/i) ) Xain iyovru.” 
« Dinon tells us, that in /Ethiopia, Unicorn birds, 
and four-horned Hogs, and Sheep, are found, 
which have no wool, indeed, but the shaggy tufts 
of hair of Camels.” The animals mentioned in 
these few words would appear as fabulous, if we 
were to take the words in their literal sense, 
according to our present notions. But if we 
compare this statement with those animals which 
still now-a-days are found in the /Ethiopia of 
the ancients, we may not be wrong in suggesting 
that Dinon, in his imperfect description, meant 
by the Unicorn bird, the Buccros corniculatus, 
(I.e Vaillant ;) by the four-horned Hog, our Wart 
Hog ; and by the Sheep, which was covered by 
the shaggy tuft of Camel hair, the Ovis tragela- 
phus, (Geoffrey.) The reporter of these strange 
animals has, comparatively speaking, called the 
prominence on the bill of the Buceros cornicu- 
latus a horn. In like manner, the very large 
corner teeth of the Wart Hog have been repre- 
sented by him as horns ; and lastly, in using the 
word ’TO*?, he gave such an excellent descrip- 
tion of' the shaggy tuft of hair of the Ovis 
tragelaphus, that we scarcely entertain any doubt 
