THE DOMESTIC HOG. ol 



Another source of improvement is the Neapolitan ho^ : 

 this is a plump animal of a black colour, without any hair, 

 and with a singular predisposition to become fat : it is 

 however of a tender constitution. The pure black breed 

 of Essex, which has very little hair, is closely allied to 

 it, and when crossed with the Neapolitan produces a 

 most valuable stock : a cross between the Neapolitan 

 and Berkshire breed is also in high esteem. A breed 

 between the Berkshire, Chinese, and Neapolitan may, 

 by careful selection, produce every quality which can be 

 desired : great fecundity, an early acquisition of fat, and 

 moderate size, with admirable form and proportions. 



The domestic hog is by no means destitute of intelli- 

 gence, and little deserves the character of a stupid filthy 

 brute, as some are pleased to call it. As regards filthi- 

 ness, everything will depend on its keeper : it is true 

 that, like the elephant and hippopotamus, it delights to 

 wallow in the mire ; but no animal more luxuriates in 

 clean straw, and when it is styed up in filth justice is not 

 done to it. The hog is a " huge feeder," but so are the 

 horse and ox, and a fat hog is a more comely-looking 

 beast than one that is lean and ill-fed. With respect to 

 intelligence, we rank it far before the ox and horse, 

 though it is less docile. In Minorca it is used to draw 

 the plough, and works well ; and Pennant says that in 

 the district of Murray, between the Spey and Elgin, it 

 was formerly employed for the same purpose, and that a 

 credible eye-witness informed him " that he had seen in 

 his parish there, a cow, a sow, and two young horses 

 yoked together and drawing a plough in light sandy soil, 

 and that the sow was the best drawer of the four." The 

 senses of taste, smell, and hearing are possessed in great 

 perfection by the hog : it is a saying among a certain 

 class of persons that pigs can smell the wind ; they are 

 certainly aware of the approach of a storm, and we have 

 seen them agitated during its continuance, screaming, 

 and running about with straw in their mouths, or carrying- 

 it to their sty as if to add to their shelter. In Italy ad- 

 vantage is said to be taken of the sense of smell with 

 which this animal is endowed in searching for truffles 



