rops, choosing always
the most flourishing fields.

The peccary, though occasionally found by itself, is a gregarious
animal. A herd will attack a jaguar or puma, and even the sturdy tapir,
without fear; and rushing at their antagonist with their sharp tusks,
never fail to come off victorious. Knowing their power, the jaguar,
when meeting a herd, flies through the forest to avoid them. When the
hunter and his dogs encounter one of these armies, his only chance of
escape is to climb the nearest tree, when they can only stand below
gnashing their teeth, and gazing up at him with their vindictive little
eyes. His dogs, however, quickly fall victims to their fury.

On one occasion a party of hunters had brought a bear to bay, when, in
the midst of the fierce contest, a herd of peccaries came charging over
the ground, putting not only the bear, but the men and the dogs to
flight.

The peccary will, indeed, attack man or beast without hesitation, its
assaults being not the less dangerous because it seems utterly ignorant
of the danger it runs itself. It is, however, hunted by the natives for
the sake of its flesh. It frequently takes up its abode in some
forsaken burrow or the hollow of a tree. The creatures back in, one
after the other, till there is no room for more. The outer one then
takes the post of sentinel, and gives notice of the approach of any
desirable quarry. The hunters, aware of this habit, cautiously--
sometimes with firearms and sometimes with pointed weapons--approach the
peccaries' abode. A slight noise draws the sentinel from the hollow,
when it is immediately shot down or transfixed by a spear. Another at
once takes its place, coming out to see what is the matter, when it is
killed in the same way; and thus a whole family may be killed in detail.

HYDROCHAERUS CAPYBARA.

In all parts of the continent,--on the banks of the streams flowing
through the Llanos of Venezuela, as well as by the side of the La Plata
and its tributaries,--the capybara, the largest rodent in existence, may
be seen, seated on its haunches, like others of its family. It is of
the size of a moderately large hog about two years old. It has a large
head, and thick divided nose, on each side of which are long whiskers.
The ears are small and rounded; the eyes are black and of considerable
size; and the upper jaw much longer than the lower,--which gives the
face a curious appearance. The body is thick, covered with shor