10 NATURAL HISTORY [Quadrupeds. 



wool of the Orkney sheep is short, but fine, insomuch that 

 stockings made of some of it, and often washed, become like 

 a sort of felt. It is manufactured into coarse cloth, stuffs, 

 coarse and very fine stockings, of all which small quantities 

 are exported, or consumed amongst ourselves. 



The goat should come next, but this has yet been so spa- 

 ringly introduced, as scarcely to claim a place in our Orkney 

 Fauna. 



GENUS IF. THE, HOG. 



Raii Syn. 92. Sus Scrofa, Lin. Sys. 102. Brit. Zool. 40. Pen. Syn. 68, 



Sib. Scot. 9. 



OURS is a variety of the common, of a very small size, 

 and variable colour, the back full of very large and long 

 bristles, the ears erect and sharp pointed, the nose surprising- 

 ly strong : in a word, their appearance is altogether different 

 from those brought from the south, as their size is remarkably 

 less . They commonly go through the hills, feeding on the roots 

 of plants, earthworms, or what else they can pick up. When 

 admitted among the corn grounds, they make vast havock by 

 rooting ; seem to be much more mischievous in this way 

 than the largest English breed, seldom leaving till they throw 

 up a ditch large enough to bury half a dozen of them, which 

 standing full of water all winter, does vast hurt to the grounds, 

 though our farmers stiffly maintain the contrary. 



