listen and I could see his round back showing above the tall gently waving 

 grass. Aiming low I fired, hitting the pig, as I afterwards found, in the flank, 

 More grunts followed and he plunged away apparently unhurt. We followed 

 in hot pursuit and presently the native spied our quarry standing in the shade 

 of some young poplars about 200 yards away. Taking careful aim I fired and 

 when the smoke cleared away we saw the boar spinning round like a terrier 

 after his tail. As I rushed up he plunged about wildly, but I managed to put 

 a bullet into his shoulder as he vanished into a small ravine, from which now 

 began to issue a deafening noise. The ravine opened abruptly into a hugh 

 chasm the sides of which were perpendicular for about 200 ft. Towards this 

 chasm the badly wounded animal struggled, and reaching the edge rolled over. 

 He would have disappeared into a deep water tunnel yawning below, but for 

 some stout birches which caught and held him. From my position above the 

 madly struggling brute I fired a final shot into his chest, and soon he lay quiet. 

 A long tramp back to camp for breakfast and to secure men to help me carry 

 home my prize was necessary, (Plate 47). The day was far spent before we 

 finally laid the huge animal on the grass outside the tent. He looked very 

 peculiar in his short summer coat. He was a fine specimen measuring 6 ft. 

 2 in. from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, and weighed 240 catties. 

 One catty is supposed to be equal to a pound and a third, which would bring 

 the weight of the pig up to 320 lbs. But I have since had reason to doubt the 

 accuracy of the native scales used, and believe that the weight above stated 

 is somewhat over the mark. 



The range of the wild pig in North China is considerable. It is very 

 plentiful in the mountains of Shansi, where of late years it has been hunted 

 by European residents. Nothing very striking in the way of records have 

 been obtained, however, 350 lbs. being probably the outside weight of the 

 largest animal shot up-to-date. The largest tusk that I have seen measured 

 9^ inches along the curve and i inch in thickness. The average length of 

 tusks secured in Shansi up to the present would be about 8 inches. The 

 nocturnal and destructive habits of this pig agree with those of the European 

 and Indian species, to which it is closely related. It does great damage to 

 crops, and we frequently saw little booths beside the fields, wherein the 

 farmers kept watch against this troublesome pest. Sus moupinensis was first 

 discovered by the indefatiguable P^re David, in the principality of Moupin in 

 Eastern Thibet, from whence it derives its name. It is of some economic 

 value. The flesh of a good fat female will fetch a fair price, but that of the 

 male is coarse and of a strong flavour. The thick hide is used in the 



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