542 



THE CLOVEN-HOOFED ANIMALS. 



the Danube valley, southern Russia, on the Balkan 

 and the Spanish peninsula. In Asia it ranges from 

 the Caucasus to the Amoor and from latitude fifty- 

 five degrees north to the northern slope of the Him- 

 alayas; in Africa it inhabits all suitable localities 

 along the entire northern coast. Beyond the given 

 boundaries it is represented by other species, in 

 part still to be examined by naturalists and thus not 

 yet conclusively defined. Such are the Maned Hog 

 of continental India (Sus crtstatus), the Andamanese 

 Hog of the Andamans (Sus andamanensis) , the 

 Bearded Hog of Borneo (Sus barbatits), the Striped 

 Hog (Sus vittatus) of Java, Amboina and Bangka, 

 the Javan Wild Hog (Sus verrucosus) of Java and 

 Ceram, the Celebes Hog, found on Celebes (Sus 

 celebensis), the Timor Hog on Timor (Sus timorensis) , 

 the New Guinea Hog (Sus papuensis) and the Black 

 Hog (Sus niger) on New Guinea, the White-bearded 

 Hog (Sus leucomystax) in Japan and Formosa, and 

 finally the Sennaar Hog (Sus sennarensis) in the cen- 

 tre of northeastern Africa. A strong Indian Boar 

 is by no means afraid of a combat with a Tiger, and 

 not infrequently proves itself master of the field. 

 The Preferred Damp and swampy localities are 

 Domicile of the often the abode of the Wild Boar, 

 Wild Hog. no matter whether they are covered 

 with extensive forests or only a swampy growth; it 

 shows a great predilection, however, for extensive, 

 young and dense forests of fir, pine, and other trees 

 with needle-like foliage. In many localities of 

 Egypt the Wild Boars live all the year around in 

 sugar-cane fields, without ever leaving them; they 

 feed on the canes, wallow in the water which is con- 

 ducted through the fields, and feel so thoroughly 

 satisfied t'here that they can not be driven away by 

 any means. In constructing its bed the Boar roots 

 out a depression, just large enough to take in its 

 body; if the material is obtainable it lines this lair 

 with moss, dry grass and foliage, and rests in it 

 quite comfortably. Herds of Wild Boars prepare 

 their lairs in a similar manner, but in lying down 

 so dispose of themselves that the heads of all are 

 directed toward a common centre. 

 Omniuorous Pro- Being very gregarious, the Wild 

 pensities of Hogs are wont to gather into herds, 

 Wild Hogs. th e sows w ith the young, by them- 

 selves. The mature males not infrequently form 

 troops of their own; but males of seven years or 

 older live solitary and join the herds only during the 

 breeding season. During the day the members of 

 the herd lie in their lairs, quietly and lazily; towards 

 evening the}' rise and start in search of food. At 

 first they root up the earth in the woods or in the 

 fields, or they run to a pool, and wallow in it for half 

 an hour or so. Such a cooling bath seems to be in- 

 dispensable to them, for sometimes they run miles to 

 obtain it. Only when complete quiet prevails do 

 they attack the fields and from any place upon which 

 they then settle they are driven away with extreme 

 difficulty. When the heads of grain are filling out 

 it is very hard to drive them out of the fields and to 

 protect the crop from damage. They eat much less 

 than they trample down or uproot, and this is why 

 they are so exceedingly destructive. In the woods 

 and on the meadows the Hogs look for worms and 

 insects and their grubs and truffles, or in fall and 

 winter for acorns, hazel-nuts and chestnuts; in the 

 cultivated fields they take potatoes, turnips, cereals, 

 peas and beans. One may say in general, that they 

 eat all imaginable kinds of plants and various animal 

 substances, even dead beasts, slain Deer and car- 



casses of their own kind, and occasionally they may 

 become truly beasts of prey, for they attack fawns, 

 pursue Red or Fallow Deer or Roes which are 

 wounded or weak from scant food, and in times of 

 scarcity they eat their own young. According to 

 whether food is plentiful or the winter a severe one, 

 they may temporarily change their quarters and 

 even undertake considerable migrations. 



General Mental Wild Hogs are war\- and ever on the 

 Characteristics of alert, though not exactly shy, as they 



the Wild Hog. can depend on their own strength 

 and weapons. Their character is a queer blending 

 of a preference for comfortable repose, inoffensive 

 good-nature, impetuosity and uncommon irritability. 

 The strongest Boar will not molest a person if it is 

 not provoked: but it always attacks a Dog and en- 

 deavors to kill it. No sow, however, and still less 

 an old male will endure insult, or even teasing. 

 If a person quietly goes his own way the Wild Boar 

 pays no attention to him, or else makes off; but 

 if it is provoked, it will turn even upon an armed 

 Man. Dietrich aus dem Winckell relates how, when 

 an inexperienced youth, he once gave a Pig, which 

 ordinarily was quite a good-natured fellow, a blow 

 with his whip when riding past it, after which he 

 was obliged to ride as fast as he could to escape it. 

 He says: "Even a hunter must be on his guard when 

 confronted with wounded Swine. When a Hog at- 

 tacks Man or beast, it rushes at its antagonist with 

 great rapidity. It deals powerful, dangerous blows 

 with its tusks; it rarely ceases the aggressive and 

 still less frequently does it retreat. If one does not 

 lose his presence of mind in such cases he lets the 

 Hog approach quite close and then jumps quickly 

 behind a tree; or, if this is not feasible, simply 

 aside; thus the animal, not being very agile, rushes 

 past. But he who has no time or opportunity for 

 the execution of these maneuvres for safety, can 

 only throw himself flat upon the ground ; for a 

 fighting Hog can strike only in an upward direction, 

 never downward." The female is not of so hasty a 

 temper as the male, but is little inferior to it in 

 courage. She can not inflict severe injuries with her 

 tusks, but this fact only results in making her still 

 more dangerous than the male, for she stops near 

 the object of her wrath, tramples on it with her feet 

 ■and tears out pieces of flesh with her teeth. Even 

 half-grown sows or young Pigs attack human beings; 

 little ones are defended by older animals with in- 

 domitable courage. Sows which have Pigs do not 

 easily give up the pursuit of any person who has 

 robbed them of a little one. 



If one looks at the tusks of a large Hog he realizes 

 that they may become formidable weapons. Both 

 tusks are white and lustrous and extremely sharp and 

 pointed, and as age increases, they become more so 

 through constant mutual friction. The tusks of the 

 male increase in length and size and become more 

 strongly curved as the animal grows older. 

 Birth and Infancy The weaker sows give birth to from 

 of Wild four to six, the stronger ones to 



Pigs. eleven or twelve Pigs at a litter, in 



a lair which the mother has previously prepared in 

 some lonely thicket and lined with moss, pine or 

 fir needles, or other foliage. In this retreat she 

 hides her little ones during the first two weeks, 

 leaving them for short intervals only when she goes 

 in search of food. 



A group of these handsomely marked, young ani- 

 mals affords a pleasing spectacle, for the little Pigs 

 are lively and extremely amusing creatures. Their 



