o attractive or innocent, now that its tusks--those ivory
daggers and knives of the family of Swine--have grown longer. The
creature, partly it may be from familiarity, jumps up against the iron
palisade which separates the visitor from its walk, but a poor pannage
as a substitute for its African home. We would advise him to read the
notice: "Visitors are requested not to tease the animals;" "not to
touch" would be a good reprint--for few, we fancy, would try to tease.

One, however, especially a lady, likes to know and to feel _texture_;
and sadly used the fine, mild Edward Cross, of Exeter Change and the
Surrey Zoological Gardens, once the Nestor as well as the King among
keepers of wild beasts--a gentle, gentlemanly, white-haired, venerable
man,--sadly, we say, used Mr Cross to lament that there _were_ parasols,
and that he could not keep them _out_ of his garden. Mr C. told the
writer that he lost many a beast and bird from the pokes of that
insinuating weapon. We dissuade any lady from touching or going near a
zebra's mouth, or the horns of an ibex or an algazel, or the pointed
bill of a heron or stork, or from putting her hand near this fine
painted pig.

Up jumps Potamochoerus--eye rather vindictive, however--and mark, as
that big specimen is foreshortened before you, the profile of the little
companion pig of the same species, standing within a few feet, but safe
from the poke of any umbrella or parasol; look how innocent and
inviting--how quiet, and sleek, and polished, and painted, and mild it
looks, all but that little suspicious eye, with its wink oblique, and
its malicious twinkle.

Of the habits of this pig we can find no written record, though in the
journals of the Scottish or Wesleyan Missionaries there may be some
notices of it. We do not know whence the Society procured the second
specimen, but it shows that Africa's wild animals, like its chain of
internal Caspian seas, and its mountain-ranges and rivers, are becoming
gradually known. Old Bosman, who was chief factor for the Dutch on the
Gold Coast 150 years ago, refers to the swine near Fort St George
d'Elmina being not nearly so wild as those of Europe, and adds, "I have
several times eaten of them here, and found them very delicious and very
tender meat, the fat being extraordinarily fine."[201] He evidently
refers to some other species.

Travellers in South Africa have made us familiar with the habits, and
specimens in the Zoological Gardens,