ORIGIN AND IMPROVEMENT OF OUR DOMESTIC PIGS. 41 



stock which, since the days of Lord Western and Fisher 

 Hobbs, had been bred for the purpose of rapidly convert- 

 ing all the food they could eat into, choice pork. No won- 

 der that such a litter of pigs would not stand starvation 

 as well as those more accustomed to it. Had the sow and 

 the litter of pigs been liberally fed, they would have 

 brought more money, with pork at 14 cts. per lb., than 

 he received that year from his whole farm of 100 acres ! 



CHAPTER YHI. 



THE ORIGIN AND IMPROVEMENT OF OUR DOMESTIC PIGS. 



JsTathusius has shown that all the known breeds of pigs 

 may Be divided in two great groups : one resembling, in 

 all important respects and no doubt descended from, the 

 common wild boar ; so that this may be called the >SW 

 scrofa group. The other group differs in several import- 

 ant and constant osteological characters ; its wild, parent- 

 form is unknown ; the name given to it by Nathusius, ac- 

 cording to the law of priority, is Sus Indica, of Pallas. 

 This name must now be followed, though an unfortunate 

 one, as the wild aboriginal does not inhabit India, and 

 the best known domesticated breeds have been imported 

 from Si am and China.* 



Wild hogs still exist in various parts of Central and 

 Northern Europe. The wild boar is described as having 

 large tusks, a stronger snout, and a longer head than the 

 domestic pig ; smaller ears, pointed and upright ; in color, 

 when full grown, always black. He does not attain his 

 full growth under four or five years, and will live for 



* Darwin Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Vol. 1, page 85 



