48 THE MASTER OF GAME 



there are few wild sows that farrow more than 

 once in the year, nevertheless men have seen them 

 farrow twice in the year. 



Sometimes they go far to their feeding between 

 night and day, and return to their covert and den 

 ere it be day. But if the day overtakes them 

 on the way ere they can get to their covert they 

 will abide in some little thicket all that day until 

 it be night. They wind a man ^ as far as any 

 other beast or farther. They live on herbs and 

 flowers especially in May, which maketh them 

 renew ^ their hair and their flesh. And some 

 good hunters of beyond the sea say that in that time 

 they bear medicine on account of the good herbs 

 and the good flowers that they eat, but thereupon 

 I make no affirmation. They eat all manner of 

 fruits and all manner of corn, and when these fail 

 them they root ^ in the ground with the rowel of 

 their snouts which is right hard ; they root deep 

 in the ground till they find the roots of the ferns 

 and of the spurge and other roots of which they 

 have the savour (scent) in the earth. And there- 

 fore have I said they wind wonderfully far and 

 marvellously well. And also they eat all the 

 vermin and carrion and other foul things. They 



^ G. de F., p. 58, says they wind acorns as well or better 

 than a bear, but nothing about winding a man. See Appendix : 

 Wild Boar. 



' From F. rc7iouvcIcr. ^ See Appendix : Wild Boar. 



