NATURAL HISTORY. 187 



prevented by keeping the domestic hog in a clean 

 stable, and giving him plenty of wholesome food. By 

 these means his flesh will become excellent to the 

 taste, and the lard firm and brittle, if he be kept for 

 a fortnight or three weeks before he is killed* in a 

 clean stable without litter, and get no food but dry 

 corn. For this purpose we should choose a sow of a- 

 bout a year old, full of flesh and fat. 



The Wild Boar is hunted by dogs, or else taken 

 by surprise in the night by the light of the moon. As 

 he runs but slowly, leaves a strong odour behind him, 

 defends himself against the dogs, and wounds them 

 dangerously, he should not be hunted by dogs design- 

 ed for the stag and the goat. The oldest only should 

 be attacked, and these are easily known by their traces. 

 A young wild boar, of three years old, is difficult to 

 take, because he runs a great way without stopping. 

 A wild boar that is older, on the other hand, does not 

 run far, suffers himself to be closely hunted, and is 

 not much afraid of the dogs. In the day he usually 

 hides himself in the thickest and most unfrequented 

 parts of the wood, and in the evening and at night he 

 goes out in quest of food. In summer, when the corn 

 is ripe, it is easy to surprise him, particularly among 

 oats, where he frequents every night. As soon as he 

 is killed, the huntsmen immediately cut out the. tes- 

 ticles, the smell of which is so strong, that if five or 

 six hours were to elapse without cutting them out, 

 all the flesh would be infected. In an old wild boar 

 the head only is good to eat ; but the flesh of the 

 young wild boar is extremely delicate. 



Nobody is ignorant of the profits arising from the 

 hog. His flesh sells for more than that of the ox, the 

 the lard for double, the blood, the bowels, the viscera, 



