174 Th^ Irish Naturalist. Nov. Dec, 



tion from the past records of the Irish pig. The agricultural 

 statistics of about the middle of last century convey to us 

 the information that the tall, long-legged, heavy-eared and 

 coarse-haired pig, known as the old Irish " Greyhound Pig" 

 appeared then to be almost confined to Galway. From the 

 descriptions and illustrations of this pig which we still 

 treasure, there can be no doubt that the peculiar examples 

 above referred to must be looked upon as the last survivors 

 of this ancient greyhound race. The National Museum 

 acquired some of the specimens mentioned from Galway 

 and other parts. Their skeletons have thus been preserved 

 for comparison with those of the genuine ancient breed 

 should the latter ever become available. Skulls and odd 

 bones which may possibly- belong to the genuine ancient 

 breed have been compared with those of the more modern 

 specimens collected in the west of Ireland. But a distinct 

 admixture of a foreign strain was noticeable in the latter. 

 The leg bones were thicker and shorter and the face of the 

 skull, as well as the jaws and teeth, had become reduced 

 in length. The modern specimens of the ancient Irish pig 

 acquired by the Museum no longer represent the exact 

 record of that breed, and it is highly probable that the 

 pure strain of the Irish greyhound pig had already vanished 

 in the early part of the last century. 



It is of considerable interest therefore to gather all the 

 available information concerning the nature and peculiarities 

 of this ancient " Grevhound " breed and to trace its past 

 history. 



The accompanying illustration (Plate VIII.) is the only 

 likeness I could find giving a fairly good idea of this 

 remarkable animal. And vet its head must have been 

 much more elongated than in the picture. A more exact 

 representation is therefore needful and would be most 

 acceptable as a record for the National Museum of Ireland. 

 Sir WilHam Wilde^ writing in 1854 describes it as tall, leggy, 

 arched on the back and remarkably long in the head with 

 huge pendant ears falling over the sides of the face. He 



^ Wilde. William, " The Food of the Irish," Dublin University Magazine, 

 March, 185^, 





