. The animals of the world. Brehm's life of animals;. Mammals. THE CHINCHILLAS. 369 Coypu in the water and drive it towards the hunter, or else they enter into combat with it, though the large Rodent defends itself courageously and effect- ually. Traps are set out on the shallow places of its favorite haunts and in front of the holes. THE AFRICAN GROUND PIG. An African form, called Ground-Pig by the na- tives {Aulacodus swinderianus), is a stout animal with a small head, a short, broad muzzle, small, naked half-round ears, and short four-toed feet with rudimentary thumbs. The fur consists of s
. The animals of the world. Brehm's life of animals;. Mammals. THE CHINCHILLAS. 369 Coypu in the water and drive it towards the hunter, or else they enter into combat with it, though the large Rodent defends itself courageously and effect- ually. Traps are set out on the shallow places of its favorite haunts and in front of the holes. THE AFRICAN GROUND PIG. An African form, called Ground-Pig by the na- tives {Aulacodus swinderianus), is a stout animal with a small head, a short, broad muzzle, small, naked half-round ears, and short four-toed feet with rudimentary thumbs. The fur consists of smooth, spine-like bristles with a flexible extremity. The bristles are ashy gray at the base, darker in the middle and black at the tip, which is usually sur- rounded a short . distance from its end by a brownish yellow ring. The Ground- Pig is, as far as our pres- ent information extends, distributed throughout eastern Africa as far to the 50uth as Cape Colony, and in western Africa its range comprises both Upper and Lower Guinea. The ani- mals live near the water and chiefly inhabit banks of rivers, thickly grown with grass, reeds and sedge, or bushes. Their food consists of grass, roots and bulbs, Drum- mood describes them as very harmful animals that can work great devasta- tions especially on sugar-cane and maize plantations and therefore are diligently pursued in cultivated portions of the country. The Ground Pig a Another reason for the pursuit of Choice Food the Ground-Pig at the hands of both Animal. Europeans and natives is, that its iflesh yields a more palatable roast than any other African mammal. of perpetual snow; only one species is found living in the plains. They take up their abode in natural holes or tunnels excavated by themselves. They are all gregarious, and sometimes a considerable colony inhabits one common hole. Averse to day- light, like the Hares, they are most active by dusk or at night. They are quick, lively, nimble and timid, and their movements
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals, bookyear1895
