WARTHOG, Platcocharus, a genus of suidce, closely resembling the true hogs in most of their characters, and particularly in their feet, but remarkably differing from them in their dentition; the molar teeth being much like those of the elephant, and replacing one another iu the same manner. There are two triangular incisors in the upper jaw, and six small ones in the under; the tusks are lateral, very large, project far from the mouth, and are bent upward; there are six or eight molars in each jaw. The head is large, and the muzzle very broad; the cheeks furnished with large wart-like excres cences, so that the appearance is altogether very remarkable and uncouth. The species are all natives of Africa. They feed very much 'on the roots of plants, which they dig up by means of their enormous tusks. The AFRICAN WRT-HOG, or HARUJA (P. Alzani),. a native of Abyssinia and of the central regions of Africa, from the coast of Guinea to that of Mozambique, is nearly 4 ft. long, with a naked slender tail of one foot, is scan tily covered with long bristles of a light brown color, and has a mane sometimes 10 in.
long, extending from between the ears along the neck and back. Another species is fouud in the s. of Africa (P. dEthiopicus or pallasii), the valk vark of the Dutch colonists at the cape of Good Hope. The incisors of the latter fall out at an early age. those of the former are persistent—A closely allied genus is potamochcerus, of which there are several species, as the bosch vat*, of Cape Colony (P. Africanus), which is nearly black, with whitish cheeks having a central black spot; and the PAINTED PIG of West Africa (P. penicillatus), which is reddish, with black face, forehead, and ears. The species of potamocharus frequent swampy grounds, and sometimes receive the name of WATER-HOG. They have longer ears than the true water-hogs, tapering and ending iu a pencil of hairs; the face is elongated, and has a huge protuberance on each side. The flesh of all the wart-bog and water-hogs is in high esteem. They are hunted by dogs, which are often killed in the encounter with them. They are much addicted to fighting among them selves.