INTRODUCTORY. 427 



ago was a long-legged, roach -backed, coarse-boned, and long- 

 nosed specimen, that had to rout deep and travel far for its food. 

 The improved animal of to-day is not allowed to rout, has at 

 most a pleasant ramble through the stubbles after harvest, and 

 lives for the rest of the year in well-sheltered yards or sheds ; 

 the snout loses most of its utility, and disappears accordingly, 

 until in some of the choicest specimens of the small white 

 varieties the prominent forehead and enormously developed 

 chop almost conceals it from view, and what remains is so 

 ridiculously of the nez-retroussS type that its grubbing abilities 

 are reduced to a minimum. G-reat as these changes are, we can 

 account for them by cultivation ; hence we see no reason why 

 pigs should not have sprung from a common origin. 



A curious study presents itself in an attempt to explain the 

 degrees in which the pig was estimated in different countries. 

 Take the case of Jews and Mahommedans, amongst whom pork 

 is held in detestation, in obedience to the Mosaic law, which 

 declared these animals unclean. The Egyptians had even a 

 stronger antipathy. Herodotus tells us that " Swine are 

 accounted such impure beasts by the Egyptians, that if a man 

 touches one even by accident he presently hastens to the river 

 and in all his clothes plunges himself into the water. For this 

 reason swineherds alone of the Egyptians are not suffered to 

 enter any of their temples ; neither will any man give his 

 daughter in marriage to one of that profession, nor take a wife 

 born of such parents, so that they are necessitated to marry 

 among themselves. The Egyptians are forbidden to sacrifice 

 swine to any other deity than Bacchus, and to the moon when 

 completely at the full, at which time they may eat of the flesh. 

 When they offer this sacrifice to the moon and have killed the 

 victim, they put the end of the tail, with the spleen and fat, 

 into a caul in the belly of the animal, all of which they burn on 

 the sacred fire, and eat the rest of the flesh on the day of the full 

 moon, though at any other time they would not taste it." 



Pork is not considered a wholesome food in very hot climates ; 

 hence, perhaps, one reason why it should have been condemned. 

 The G-reeks and Eomans esteemed it greatly, and a young pig 

 stuffed with beccaficoes and served with wine was much approved 

 of, the dish being distinguished as " Porcus Trojanus." In 



