rd of the Mississippi River. In that great
wing of the continent, to the eastward of this river, and now occupied
by the United States, no such animal exists, nor is there any proof that
it was ever known to exist there in its wild state. In the territory of
Texas, it is a common animal, and its range extends westward to the
Pacific, and south throughout the remainder of the Continent.

As you proceed westwards, the line of its range rises considerably; and
in New Mexico it is met with as high as the 38rd parallel. This is just
following the isothermal line, and proves that the peccary cannot endure
the rigours of a severe winter climate. It is a production of the
tropics and the countries adjacent.

Some naturalists assert that it is a forest-dwelling animal, and is
never seen in open countries. Others, as Buffon, state that it makes
its _habitat_ in the mountains, never the low countries and plains;
while still others have declared that it is never found in the
mountains!

None of these "theories" appears to be the correct one. It is
well-known to frequent the forest-covered plains of Texas, and Emory
(one of the most talented of modern observers) reports having met with a
large drove of peccaries in the almost treeless mountains of New Mexico.
The fact is, the peccary is a wide "ranger," and frequents either
plains or mountains wherever he can find the roots or fruits which
constitute his natural food. The haunts he likes best appear to be the
dry hilly woods, where he finds several species of nuts to his taste--
such as the chinquapin (_Castanea pumila_), the pecan (_Juglans
olivaformis_), and the acorns of several species of oak, with which the
half-prairie country of western Texas abounds.

Farther than to eat their fruit, the forest trees are of no use to the
peccary. He is not a climber, as he is a hoofed animal. But in the
absence of rocks, or crevices in the cliffs, he makes his lair in the
bottoms of hollow trees, or in the great cavities so common in
half-decayed logs. He prefers, however, a habitation among rocks, as
experience has no doubt taught him that it is a safer retreat both from
hunters and fire.

The peccary is easily distinguished from the other forest animals by his
rounded, hog-like form, and long, sharp snout. Although pig-shaped, he
is extremely active and light in his movements. The absence of a tail--
for that member is represented only by a very small protuberance or
"kno