102 HOGS. RHINOCEROS. TAPIRS. 



5. The Wild Hog, Sus Scropha, which is the parent stock 

 of our Domestic Hog, has a thick, short body, straight ears, 

 prismatic tusks which curve outwards, hair bristled and blackish. 

 It is smaller than the hog, and does not vary in its colour, it is 

 always a dark iron gray, with black ears, feet and tail. Its 

 muzzle is longer than that of the hog, and its tusks which arise 

 from the two jaws are much larger ; they sometimes grow to be 

 a foot long ; the inferior ones are most formidable and inflict 

 serious wounds. 



It produces six or eight young ones at a birth every year ; 

 which are striped black and white. 



6. The Domestic Hog, varies in size, in the length of its ex- 

 tremities, in the direction of its ears and in colour ; it is white 

 or black, or reddish, or variegated : its fecundity is much in- 

 creased by domestication, the sow producing two litters every 

 year of from twelve to fifteen pigs each. The hog continues to 

 grow for five or six years, and may live twenty. It is very 

 voracious, and does not even spare its own young. This is one 

 of the most useful of animals, on account of the quality of its 

 flesh and lard, and from the facility of feeding, and multiplying 

 it. There are many varieties. 



7. The RHINOCEROS, (Plate 5. Jig. 3.) is a large, dull animal, 

 remarkable for the great thickness of its skin, and the solid horn 

 it carries on its nose, the bones of which are very thick, and 

 united in the form of an arch to sustain it. This horn, which is of 

 a fibrous, horny nature, adheres to the skin and seems to be com- 

 posed of agglutinated hairs ; it has no bony axis in its centre 

 like the horns of the ruminants. 



8. Animals of this genus inhabit the warmest parts of the old 

 continent and are generally found in places where elephants are 

 met with. They seek shady and humid situations, and wallow, 

 like the Hippopotamus and Hog, to supple their hide. Their intel- 

 ligence 4s very limited, and their nature is fierce and indomitable. 



9. Several species are known, some of which belong to India, 

 and the others to Africa. 



10. TAPIRS are animals which very much resemble the Hog, 

 but are distinguished from it at first sight by the small fleshy 



5. What is the wild Hog? 



6. What are the habits of the Domestic Hog ? Why is this a very use- 

 ful animal ? 



7. What is the Rhinoceros ? 



8. What are the habits of the Rhinoceros ? 



9. In what parts of the world is the Rhinoceros found ? 

 10, What are Tapirs? 



