The Indian Wild Boar 



tions ; and they prefer marshy situations, such as the 

 banks o^ jhils and tanks, to dry ones, wallowing in mud 

 being a pastime among pigs of all descriptions. 



Pigs increase with great rapidity, the period of 

 gestation being only about four months, so that there 

 is time for the production of a couple of litters a year ; 

 the number of young in which is generally from four 

 to six. In certain districts, at all events, Indian swine 

 are in the habit of forming a rude kind of shelter of 

 grass, in which the sows are reported to place their 

 offspring for security ; while occasionally old boars 

 resort to these refuges. The flesh of young porkers is 

 excellent eating, but since cooks in India are for the 

 most part Mohammedans there is great difficulty in 

 getting it dressed for table, and the carcase is usually 

 made over to the saises^ or grooms, and other low-caste 

 Hindus. 



At the first burst, a wild boar starts off at a rattling 

 pace, but he is not long-winded, and is sooner or later 

 caught up by the horseman unless the ground is very 

 bad, nor are the sows much, if at all, superior in speed 

 and wind to the boars. When brought to bay, old 

 boars fight in the most determined manner, charging at 

 every horse that comes in their way, and inflicting 

 terrible wounds with their formidable lower tusks by a 

 side sweep of the head. A competent observer has 

 given it as his verdict that there is not a bolder animal 

 in the world than a wild boar. Not that boars are 

 specially vicious by nature, for if unmolested they 

 generally leave the passer-by alone ; but when once 

 roused, they " mean business." Even the tiger cannot 

 attack them with impunity, there being several instances 

 on record where " stripes " has come off worst in such 

 an encounter. But it is not every boar that displays 

 the same amount of boldness and courage, nor indeed 

 of speed ; and it is stated that while the comparatively 

 lightly-built and " leggy " animals of the Deccan and 

 the Punjab possess the greater capacity for speed, the 



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