THE SWINE. 203 



hard pressed, however, the Swine are a race that 

 can subsist on almost any thing placed within 

 their reach ; and scarcely any sort of food, 

 either animal or vegetable, comes amiss to them. 

 " Voracious" is therefore the title which has been 

 most commonly applied to them. 



The sense of smell is extremely acute ; it is 

 almost the only sense employed when the animal 

 is rooting up the ground ; and a little attention 

 to a herd so occupied, will soon shew with 

 what subtlety it is employed : scarcely a small 

 root or a worm escapes ; and on every fresh turn- 

 ing of a few inches of ground, this useful instru- 

 ment is employed in trying by smell the disturbed 

 fragments. On the Continent, this faculty is said 

 to be sometimes employed by having the animals 

 trained to hunt for truffles, when, we suppose, they 

 will act as both finders and diggers. But the most 

 remarkable instance of the culture of this sense 

 in the Sow, was exhibited in the animal which 

 belonged to Col. Thornton, and which was taught 

 regularly to hunt, quarter the ground, and to back 

 the other pointers. When hunted alone, her scent 

 was very sure ; and in one or two instances, she 

 was known to stand steadily at snipes. In this 

 instance, the training was accomplished by good 

 treatment, and a reward of bread carried in 

 the pocket of the keeper. The Wild Boar in the 

 Parisian Menagerie was taught to go through 



