THE PIG. 



SO accustomed are we to the pig in his sty that we are 

 apt to forget that he is naturally one of the most 

 valiant of animals, a sturdy and desperate fighter, able to 

 hold his own against most wild beasts, and ready to face 

 man and to die, fighting valiantly to the last, in defence of 

 his wife and offspring. Whether the pig has improved or 

 deteriorated under the hand of man depends upon the 

 point of view from which he is regarded. Those engaged 

 in consuming the succulent ham, or the crisp rasher, would, 

 doubtless, reply in the affirmative ; while the Indian officer, 

 on his return from a morning spent in the fierce and 

 hazardous sport of pig-sticking, would utter as decided a 

 negative. Between the wild boar and the domestic pig 

 the difference is as wide as between the aboriginal Briton 

 and the sleek alderman ; and, in both cases, though 

 civilisation has done much, eating has done more to bring 

 about the change. Gluttony is undoubtedly at the root of 

 the pig's present condition and status. It cannot be called 

 a gourmand, for it is not particular as to its food, and 

 demands quantity rather than quality. It is content to 

 eat and to sleep alternately, and the whole energy of its 

 naturally vigorous disposition is devoted to putting on fat. 

 7 8 



