Guide to the great fame animals (Ungulata) in the Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) : Illustrated by 53 text and other figures.

  • British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Guide to the great fame animals (Ungulata) in the Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) : Illustrated by 53 text and other figures. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    present exhibited. This animal is allied to the Wart-Hog, but has the skull less specialised. The African Wart-Hogs (Phacochoerus) take their name from the large wart-like lobes? OesiUS PIiaGOChoerilS. projecting’ from the sides of the face, but are [Case 65.] more particularly distinguished by the character of the dentition. In young animals there is a total of thirty-four teeth, of which one pair (canines) forms huge tusks, while there is one pair of upper, and three of lower incisors. Of cheek-teeth there are six upper, and five lower pairs; the first three upper and the first two lowei' being premolars, and the remaining three in both jaws molars. In very old animals only the tusks and last molars may remain. The tusks are large in both sexes ; and the last molar is a long and complex tooth, formed of a number of closely-packed vertical columns. Unlike those of ordinary Wild Pigs, the young are uniformly coloured. There are two closely allied species or varieties of the genus ; namely, the Northern P. cdiani (1352), represented by a skeleton, and the Southern P. cethiopicus (1353), of which a male and female, presented by Mr. F. C. Selous, are shown. In habits they resemble the majority of the Pig-family, although they frequently take up their abode in the deserted burrows of the Aard-Vark. When driven out from such strongholds, they rush with great ferocity upon the dogs and hunters. They usually associate in pairs or small family-parties. The Wart-Hogs. The Babirusa. . waJ foar> Bab\r“sa f»-Deer (,f Celebes, Babivusa aijurus (1354), alone represents OenilS Babirusa. a genus distinguished by the extraordinary de- [Case 65.] velopment of the tusks of the male. These teeth grow continuously, and are long, slender, curved, and devoid of enamel; those of the upper jaw curving upwards, and piercing the skin without entering the mouth. The number of teeth is thirty-four; there being only two pairs of upper incisors, and two of premolars in each jaw. The skin is very rough and almost entirely devoid of hair. A mounted specimen and several skulls are exhibited.