266 COURAGE AND FEROCITY OF HOGS 



extremely old and thin; he measured, in height 

 to the top of the shoulder, forty-three inches, and 

 his tusks were ten inches long; he was fierce, 

 but shewed little sport, owing to his taking shelter 

 in a thick rhur field, from which we could not 

 drive him. Two very large greyhounds were 

 slipped to him ; one of them he instantly killed, 

 and the other he severely wounded. A random 

 spear, thrown by a gentleman who did not see 

 him distinctly at the time, struck him in the head, 

 and he fell dead without receiving any other 

 wound. 



Whenever a boar is found in company with a 

 single sow, he is fiercer than at any other time, 

 and will seldom run from the hunters. I have 

 known them to quit the sow, allowing her to go 

 on, lie down, and wait behind a bush out of sight, 

 arid as soon as one of the hunters approached, 

 sally forth with a desperate charge at him. Per- 

 haps no animal possesses more courage than the 

 wild hog. Although it is almost incredible, I 

 have several times seen young pigs, not three 

 months old, charge horses and elephants ; harm- 

 less as such charges must be, it shows their natural 

 courage and ferocity. I have never heard a wild 

 boar cry, although I have seen them put to the 



