THE PECCARY. 
(5 I HIS interesting animal, which 
4 I is of common occurrence 
qJ I throughout the forests of 
~~ South America, roams through 
the woods in large herds and is con- 
stantly migrating, being often driven 
by scarcity of food to make long 
journeys. Rendgger, the well known 
naturalist, states that one may follow 
the Peccaries for days without seeing 
them. In their wanderings they keep 
to the open country, which ordinarily 
they rarely frequent, and even streams 
cannot stop them. If they reach a 
field they cross it at a run, and if they 
arrive at the banks of a river they 
do not hesitate but swim at once 
across it. 
They have been seen crossing the 
Paraguay river at a place where it 
requires about a half hour to do so. 
The herd keeps together in a close 
throng, the males in advance, each 
mother having her young behind her. 
The noise made by the animals can be 
heard a long distance, not only on 
account of the dull, hoarse sounds 
which they make, but still more by 
reason of the cracking of the dead 
branches which they break in their 
impetuous progress. 
Both day and night the Peccaries 
search for food. They eat all kinds 
of arboreal fruit and roots, and their 
teeth are so strong that they can easily 
open the hardest of palm seeds. They 
often do great mischief to the crops. 
Besides vegetable food they are said 
also to eat Snakes, Lizards, Worms, and 
Grubs, in this respect being useful ani- 
mals. They are much more cleanly 
in their habits than the Wild Boars, 
and Beehm asserts that they never eat 
more than they require, and seek water 
only during periods of the most in- 
tense heat, and then they wallow only 
in pools. During the day they hide 
in tree trunks, in which they sleep 
also at night. 
The female gives birth to a single 
young one, in rare instances to two. 
The cry of the young is like that of 
Goats. They are easily tamed and 
domesticated if treated well. The flesh 
is eaten by the poorer classes, the skin 
being chiefly used for bags and thongs. 
On account of a gland which the 
animal bears in its haunches and which 
has an evil effect on the meat, causing 
it to become unfit for use in a very 
short time, the flesh is not considered 
to be particularly excellent. 
It has been said that the Peccary is 
totally devoid of fear. It is small, 
rarely exceeding eighteen inches in 
height, and yet it is not less dreaded 
than the most savage Wild Boar would 
be. Many an unlucky sportsman, to 
escape a herd of these wild creatures 
has been glad to climb a tree in time 
to save his life. Men, Horses, and 
Dogs fly in haste, for the Peccaries 
fight like a well drilled army, and by 
swarming about an enemy they are 
sure to conquer with their strong, sharp 
tusks. They avoid conflict with man, 
and shyly run into the thick woods on 
his approach, but when fired upon or 
brought to bay they seem possessed 
only with rage and desire for ven- 
geance. 
The Peccary is peculiar in his 
anatomy, having several sacs in place 
of a single stomach, thus resembling 
the cud chewing animals. This 
resemblance is traced still further in 
the feet, where the metacarpal and 
metatarsal bones of the two greater 
toes are united into a sort of cannon 
bone. 
This specimen came from the cane- 
brakes of Texas. 
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