THE WILD BOAR OF INDIA 



the world. The dash of danger intermingled with the 

 excitement of the chase gives to it a zest which, even in 

 fox-hunting, is wanting. 



At the same time, in some respects the two resemble 

 each other closely, in fact, to put it briefly, pig-sticking 

 less the hounds, is fox-hunting, except for the difference in 

 size and character of the two animals respectively con- 

 cerned, but this difference is important, for whilst the fox 

 is helpless to protect itself, the pig can, and often does, 

 turn on its pursuers, and being a formidable beast, the 

 contest is infinitely more equal, sometimes even resulting in 

 victory for the pursued. 



In this connection it is necessary to bear in mind, too, 

 that this the so-called " pig " is invariably a boar, of 

 all wild animals in India admittedly the most determined 

 and courageous, armed, moreover, with sharp tusks, 

 averaging from five to six inches long, though they have 

 been known to run to as much as nine inches in length. 



For the rest, an Indian boar stands over two feet six 

 inches and from snout to end of tail is quite six feet in 

 length. In colour he is almost black with a thick row of 

 long, stout bristles down the back. The head is long and 

 narrow with coarse black flowing whiskers, which turn 

 grey with age. The ears are pointed and surrounded with 

 black bristles. 



Of the tusks alluded to above, he carries four, an upper 

 and lower one each side of his mouth ; but it is the lower 

 ones he uses in attack or defence. These are white and 

 gleaming and symmetrically curved with the inner edges as 

 sharp as a razor. 



His method of using these murderous weapons, is to 

 throw up his head with a jerk when closing with his foe, 

 and having great power in his neck, a blow thus delivered 

 makes a fearful wound. The upper tusks are much shorter 

 and of a dirty yellow colour. His tail is scantily covered 

 with short hairs, and has a flat tuft of bristles at the end. 



Wild pig are found throughout India and are very 

 common in the Deccan, where I have speared a considerable 

 number. They do much damage to the crops and live in 

 herds or sounders to use the technical term of from ten 

 to sixty or more. Solitary boars are occasionally to be met 



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