82 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



and in our own country the famous sow Slut was broke 

 in to the gun, and stood to her game as stanch as the best 

 pointer. 



The genus Sus as at present constituted contains, be- 

 sides the common wild hog and its domestic relatives, 

 two other species known to naturalists : of these one is 

 the Papuan hog, or Bene of the natives of New Guinea 

 {Sus Papuensis), figured and described in the ' Zoologie 

 de la Coquille,' by MM, Lesson and Garnot. It is 

 remarkable for its small size, and its light and agreeable 

 proportions, and the shortness of the tusks. It is common 

 in the forests of New Guinea, where it is esteemed by 

 the native Papuans as delicate food : they contrive to 

 catch these animals when young, and rear them in a state 

 of domestication. 



The other animal is the Woodswine of South and 

 Eastern Africa, and of Madagascar, the Bosch-Vark of 

 the Dutch colonists of the Cape {Sus larvatus, Cuv.), 

 This savage and formidable animal resembles the wild 

 boar of Europe, but ics head is larger in proportion, its 

 snout broader, and an elevated callous protuberance is 

 seated on the cheeks between the tusks and eyes, giving 

 a revolting aspect to the physiognomy. Prompt and 

 vicious, the Bosch-Vark is much to be dreaded in com- 

 bat, its strength and the size of its tusks rendering it a 

 match for almost any foe. It dwells in excavations in 

 the ground, where it is dangerous to attack it, as it rushes 

 out suddenly from its retreat and deals rapid destruction 

 among its assailants. Dr.' Smith observes that this spe- 

 cies is subject to great variety of colouring, scarcely any 

 two specimens being precisely alike : some are of a 

 brownish black variegated with white, and others are of an 

 almost uniform light reddish brown or rufous without white 

 markings ; and it is scarcely possible to say which is the 

 most prevailing style of colouring. The bristles are long, 

 particularly upon the upper parts of the neck and back ; 

 the canines are of huge size and strength : the ears are 

 short, and thinly covered both without and within with 

 coarse black hair, which is longest at their tips. The 

 tail is thinly covered with black bristles. Average 



