SWINE IN TRANCE. 71 



breed appears to have spread extensively over most of the southern 

 shores of the old continent. 



To these he adds the Turkish hog, the New Guinea hog, De Witt's 

 hog, and the smooth or short-legged swine, the two latter of which 

 evidently derive their origin from a cross with the Siamese and some 

 other breed, and all of which fatten easily and to a great weight, and 

 are good breeders. 



The swine in Normandy are, even to the present day, of the large, 

 gaunt, grizzly race, common in some of the south-eastern counties of 

 England and Germany. Mr. Wilson informs us that in the time of 

 Buffon, by far the greater proportion of the swine in the north of 

 France were perfectly white, as were also those of Vivarais ; while 

 in Dauphiny, which is not far distant, they were all black. Those of 

 Languedoc and Provence were likewise black. This is a curious 

 fact, and seems to prove, beyond a doubt, that the parent stock 

 of these two opposite colors was totally different, and also that there 

 was little intermixture or crossing among the breeds of these places, 

 but that the races were preserved pure and distinct. He also men- 

 tions that latterly a new variety of the porcine race has been intro- 

 duced under the name of " Le Pore de Nobles" which appears to have 

 been derived from the improved English breed, which originated 

 from a cross between an Anglo-Chinese sow, and an emancipated 

 wild boar. This answers very well, and is much esteemed on ac- 

 count of the delicate flavor of its flesh. 



In Champagne the breed of pigs are white, long-limbed, flat-sided, 

 hollow in the flanks, and having large ears. 



In Quercy the breed is of a moderate size, has a small short head, 

 little ears, and a curved back ; most of these pigs are spotted, but 

 there is more of black than white in them. 



In the department of Mayenne, and along the Oudon, some very 

 valuable kinds are found, which have been carefully bred, and reared 

 expressly for the purpose of improving the French breeds of pigs. 

 There are two distinct varieties, the one called the " Craon Breed," 

 which has a long body, short legs, and a back so broad that even 

 when the animals are lean the spine does not project. These fatten 

 well and easily, but do not begin to make much flesh until they are 

 eleven or twelve months old, after which they rapidly develop 

 themselves, and attain an immense weight. 



The other variety is designated the " Valley Breed"; here, too, the 

 legs are short, the body of a medium length, the back extremely 

 broad, the ears large and falling to the tip of the snout, which is short 

 and wide ; the back is covered with bristles, the tail finished with a 

 tuft of the same, and from the under-jaw two hairy appendages similar 

 to those of a goat depend. Pigs of this breed fatten well, and may 

 be killed at any age. 



In the province of Bresse, in the neighborhood of Lyons, of the 



