72 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



instance is on record in which a boar turned suddenly 

 upon a pack of fifty dogs which pursued him, and in- 

 stantly despatched six or seven of them, wounding all the 

 rest, with the exception of ten. The young boar is less 

 resolute than the old animal, and will run to a consider- 

 able distance before he is brought to bay ; nor is the 

 assault attended with any great degree of danger. In 

 all ages the chase of the boar has been a favourite di- 

 version ; the classic writings abound with allusions to it 

 and to the risk incurred. Ovid (Fab. iv., lib. viii.) gives 

 a spirited account of the chase, in v/hich the fury and 

 strength of the enraged beast are admirably depicted. 

 It would seem that the ancients endeavoured to enclose 

 the boar by nets so as prevent his escaping into the re- 

 cesses of the forest : the combat was close and therefore 

 dangerous ; driven from his lair by the dogs, and hemmed 

 in, the infuriated animal turned savagely upon his 

 assailants, and died, after killing and wounding dogs 

 and men, transfixed by spears and javelins. Our fore- 

 fathers in the Middle Ages deemed the wild boar one of 

 the noble " beastes of venery," and kept a powerful breed 

 of hounds for the chase : the weapons used by the hunts- 

 men were spears, and a sort of short sword, or couteau 

 de chasse ; the spears were used when the boar was 

 brought to bay, and the attack gave abundant oppor- 

 tunities to the hunters of showing their skill and courage. 

 The loud blast of the horn, mingled with the shouts of 

 men and the baying of the hounds, proclaimed the 

 vigorous home-thrust that struck the savage lifeless to 

 the ground. Figs. 35 and 36 are illustrative of the 

 boar-hunt as conducted in Europe in the Middle Ages. 

 Fig. 37 illustrates boar-hunting as practised in India at 

 the present day. The hunters are always mounted on 

 horseback, and, instead of meeting the animal with spears, 

 attack him with javelins, which are launched at him as 

 he flies, or as he rushes to the charge, which is often so 

 determined that the horses cannot be brought to stand 

 the shock, or, if they do, are thrown down and gored ; 

 serious accidents sometimes occur. Mr. Johnson relates 

 an instance in which a large and resolute boar, after 



