186 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



margin is dilated and highly sensitive. Its use is 

 to turn up the earth in search of roots and insects, 

 in which operation the animal seems guided by its 

 exquisite sense of smell. They eat also nearly all 

 vegetable matters, and even flesh is not rejected. 



The Wild Boar and Sow (S. Scrofa), of Europe, 

 is the original of our domestic breeds ; and its wide 

 extension, through Asia and Africa as well, may 

 account for what now appear permanent varieties, 

 such as the Chinese breed, and others. The Wild 

 Hog is a fierce and dangerous animal, possessing 

 great strength and impetus in an attack ; his tusks 

 also are powerful and effective weapons. Swine are 

 considered dirty by nature, but the charge is only 

 true in a state of narrow confinement, where their 

 litter is not often changed : in a wild state, no ani- 

 mal's lair is cleaner or drier ; in North America, 

 the author has often seen the immense nests of dry 

 leaves which the semi-wild Hogs have scrupulously 

 and industriously accumulated, in order to sleep dry 

 and warm. It is true they wallow, but this, as we 

 have seen, is a provision of nature common to all 

 the naked Pachyderm at a. The intelligence of the 

 Hog seems to be of a far higher order than is usually 

 attributed to it ; and the value of its flesh as human 

 food is well known. 



To enter into details of the habits or history of 

 so familiar an animal would be foreign to our plan ; 

 we shall, therefore, merely observe, that a species 

 closely allied, but apparently distinct, is found in 

 New Guinea (S. Papuensis), and another in the 



