THE INDIAN WILD HOG. 50I 



The Wild Boar, such as we have described it, is found in France, 

 German}^ Belgium, Poland, Austria, the Banubian Principalities, 

 Southern Russia, and Spain. In Asia it extends from the Caucasus to 

 the Amoor, and is probably identical with the Wild Boar of Syria and 

 Asia Minor, which is called scientifically Sus libyciis. Beyond the limits 

 just mentioned occur other species which still require investigation. 

 Such are the Crested Hog, Sus cristatus of India, the Siis andamaiiciisis, 

 the Sus barbatus of Borneo, Sus vittatus of Java, Sus leucomystax of 

 Japan, and Sus scnnaccnsis of North-eastern Africa, and others. Of these 

 we need only mention the first. 



The Wild Hog of India, Sus cristatus, is superior in size, strength, 

 and swiftness to the European species. 



This animal is a sad plague to the agricultural population of India, as 

 it makes terrible havoc among the crops, and is especially fond of fre- 

 quenting the sugar-canes, eating them and chopping them into short 

 lengths, which it forms into hut-like receptacles for its young. The 

 boar is a most fierce and savage animal, and if driven from the cane- 

 brake, will rush at any man or animal that may be within his reach, and 

 cut them terribly with his sharp tusks. Even the sow can do consider- 

 able damage with her teeth, but instead of ripping like her mate, she 

 bites sharply and rapidly. When the animal is fairly roused, and takes 

 to his heels, he puts the mettle of the swiftest and stanchest horse fairly 

 to the test, and even on ground where the horse has all the advantage, 

 he will frequently distance his pursuers, and regain his domicile in the 

 cane-brake. Among the plantations are numbers of old disused wells, 

 the sides of which have fallen in and were never properly filled up. In 

 these wells the wild hog loves to lie, for the mouth of the well is so over- 

 grown with thick verdure that the aperture is scarcely visible even to a 

 person that stands on its brink, while from those who are not aware of its 

 precise locality it is entirely hidden. 



The spear is generally employed in boar-hunting, or " pig-sticking," 

 as the sport is familiarly termed, and is either thrown from the horse's 

 back, or is held like a lance and directed so as to receive the animal's 

 charge. When driven to bay, the Indian boar is as savage an animal as 

 can be imagined, as with flashing eyes and foaming mouth he dashes first 

 at one and then another of the horsemen, sometimes fairl}' driving them 

 from the spot, and remaining master of the field. The unevenness ot the 

 ground over which the chase is pursued, adds to the difficulty of the sport. 



