THE PECCARY. 
Looks 'very much like a little 
Pig, does'nt he, children? Well, 
so he is, a species of wild pig 
found in the canebrakes of 
Texas, and native of South 
America. 
You would hardly think so 
small an animal could be so 
ferocious, but the inhabitants of 
South America dread and fear 
him as much as they do the Wild 
Boar. He is a fearless little 
creature, too, attacking any ob- 
ject which comes in his way no 
matter how big it is. Even an 
Elephant wouldn't scare him, 
though, as Elephants are not 
found in South America or 
Texas, I presume a Peccary 
never saw one. 
His jaws, as you see, are armed 
with tusks, like those of the 
Boar, but they are straight 
instead of curved, are sharp at 
the edges, and although no 
longer than your finger can 
inflict a terrible wound on ac- 
count of the great strength of 
the animal's neck. 
W 7 hen a body of them charge 
an enemy they will fight till 
every one of them is slain. 
You will not wonder then that 
Men, Horses, and Dogs fly at 
the approach of a herd of 
Peccaries, the poor Horses being 
so easily brought down by 
having their legs cut to pieces 
by- the sharp tusks. 
In the canebrakes of Texas, 
where the trees are of enormous 
size, the Peccaries make their 
home. A fallen tree overgrown 
with thickets of the cane, matted 
together with strong and thorny 
vines, is their favorite lodging. 
Into one of these hollow logs a 
drove of twenty or thirty will 
enter at night, each one backing 
in, the last one to enter standing 
with his nose to the entrance 
and acting as sentinel. 
On dark, drizzly days they 
never leave their lodgings, and 
it is on these days that the 
farmers who have suffered by 
their ravages on grain-crop and 
stock, succeed in putting an end 
to many of their enemies. As 
soon as daylight appears and 
the protruding snout and watch- 
ful eyes of the sentinel on duty 
can be seen, a sharp report of a 
rifle is heard; with a spring the 
sentinel leaps out and soon rolls 
lifeless upon the ground. In- 
stantly a low grunt is heard, 
and another snout and sharp 
pair of eyes appear in the 
opening. A flash, a report, and 
out he leaps to his death, also; 
thus they go on till every 
"lodger" is disposed of. 
Of all animals the Peccary 
alone, it is said, resists the terror 
of the gun, its flash and report 
serving only to enrage him. 
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