62 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



found in Shropshire, and other English counties occa- 

 sionally, it appertains most properly to the Hebridean 

 and Orcadian porker. Yet, piggie of the golden hair, 

 thou too hast thy well-earned value ! They tell me 

 thou'rt the favoured guest, not for the flavour of thy 

 flesh, but for the bristles that adorn thee, and which 

 form the staple element of the rope most trusted 

 of the island cragsmen in their dangerous trade of 

 fowling. Hence, the impunity with which Yarrell 

 tells us that he devastates the corn lands, working 

 for his wallow deep holes that hold water as a basin, 

 to the great detriment of the surrounding crop ; and 

 which would astound our native agriculturist, ever so 

 forward to complain of each hoof-mark imprinted by 

 the hunter on his wheat or clover. 



Pigs allowed to lie out upon a dung-heap, as they 

 will do for the heat, are apt to become scabby, and, 

 Mr. Mechi states, get the heaves or lung disease. They 

 should have comfortable sties, well littered with clean 

 straw. For, 'tis a libel upon the breed to say that 

 they have a preference for dirt when a cleanly retreat 

 is attainable. Wallowing we must regard as a bath, 

 which of necessity he takes sometimes in the porter- 

 coloured, and, I doubt not, caustic liquid of the straw- 

 yard ; but which, probably, were no more to his taste, 

 gentle reader, than yours, were a bed of oozy clay 

 convenient. 



To prevent a pig rooting up the pasture various 

 modes are adopted ; some paring off with a razor the 

 gristle on the top of the nose, to the quick ; others 

 dividing the ligament, which never re-unites, so that 

 the snout is powerless ; others inserting a ring. The 



