COMMON HOG. 



121 



any service in the plough or the draught; affording 

 us neither milk, butter, nor cheese; nor furnishing 

 any warm and woolly fleece for our clothing, is, not- 

 withstanding-, highly estimable in supplying us with 

 excellent food ; and its value is not a little enhanced 

 by the shortness of the time requisite for its growth 

 and fattening. 



The hog does not ruminate, but resembles the ru- 

 minating animals in dividing the hoof and preferring 

 a vegetable diet; and it partakes of the nature of the 

 carnivorous race in relishing animal food. 'In the 

 length of the head, and in having only a single sto- 

 mach, it exhibits a similarity to the horse : in its clo- 

 ven-hoof we trace a resemblance to the cow ; and ifr 

 approximates to the claw-footed kind, by its appetite 

 for flesh and its numerous progeny. Thus the spe- 

 cies serves to fill up the chasm between carnivorous 

 animals and those which feed upon herbage. This 

 animal, producing from ten to twenty younaj at a 

 birth, forms also a remarkable exception to the two 

 general rules of nature; that the largest a*iimaK pro- 

 duce the fewest young, and that, of all quadrupeds, 

 those which have claws are the most prolific. 



TI I JL COMMON II 0<i 



Is so well known, that any description of it would 

 be superfluous, and a few general observations are all 

 that are. requisite. 



In no instance has Nature more conspicuously dis- 

 played her economy, than in forming this race of ani- 

 mals, and endowing them with an appetite to feed on 

 a variety of tit Bigs that wourd otherwise bo was'ed. 

 The refuse of the kitchen, the barn, the garden, or 

 the field, affords the swine ajuxurious repast. It is 

 restless in sjtonny wta-ther, and seems j irticulr.rly 

 terrified or affected, when the wind is cxtierecly vio- 

 lent. At such times it will often run screaajfug about, 

 and appear much agitated. 



In observing the disgusting appearance of this ani- 

 mal, its voracious appetite, and its dirty imuiiier of 

 feeding and living, it wonkl scarcely be suppo, ; iiiat 

 its flesh could have so excellent a flavour ; ana if u 



