CHAPTER III 



NATURAL HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PIG 



IN trying to tell you what I know of pig and their 

 ways, I must confess to a great ignorance on many 

 points concerning them. Their natural and more 

 obvious characteristics are easily observed ; but I 

 find it hard to draw any certain deductions as to 

 some of their ways and methods of life. 



I will not give any scientific description of a pig : 

 any book on natural history will tell you that. Nor 

 for the same reason will I dwell at any length on 

 their ages and breeding. I will give you, on these 

 points, condensed extracts from Baden - Powell, 

 who, good and accurate though he is in all his book, 

 is particularly so in dealing with the life-history of 

 the pig. 



Natural History. 



There are two varieties of pig, " Tatyra " and " Muckna." 

 The former is the smaller. He is black or red in colour, 

 fast and fierce, with big tushes. The latter is bigger, 

 coarser, generally black or yellow in colour and a slow 

 mover. 



At three years the boar is just fit to ride. At eight years 

 old he is in his prime. He lives from fifteen to twenty years. 



A sow produces two litters a year. Each litter may 

 consist of from two to nine squeakers. Period of gestation 

 is four months. Several sows generally live in company 

 and form the harem of one boar. 



21 



