306 ECONOMIC MAMMALOGY 



FAMILY SUIDAE THE SWINE (Hoes, PECCARIES, ETC.) 



The domesticated swine are very important animals. The domestica- 

 tion was accomplished so long ago that there is no record of it in 

 written history at least 4900 years ago in China. 1 They are quite 

 omnivorous. Their flesh, familiarly known as pork, constitutes about 

 one-half of all the meat used in the United States, 68.5 pounds per 

 capita in 1927, together with 13.8 pounds of lard per capita, the total 

 amount of pork consumed being 8,122,000,000 pounds, and of lard 

 i, 634,000,000. 2 Pork is particularly valuable, because, unlike most other 

 meats, it may readily be cured by salting and smoking, without losing 

 flavor or becoming dry and hard, and may thus be kept in good condi- 

 tion for a long period and transported long distances, without re- 

 frigeration, the smoked bacon and ham being eaten with relish by 

 many people who do not care for fresh pork. 



In 1927 there were in the United States 52,536,000 head of swine, 

 valued at $838,420,000, and in other countries, 103,278,000 head. 3 

 In 1925 the United States produced under federal inspection 

 8,255,000,000 pounds of pork and 2,223,000,000 pounds of lard. 4 In 

 addition to the meat and lard, the skins and bristles are articles of 

 commerce. 



Formerly there were very heavy losses to hog-raisers, chiefly due 

 to epidemics of cholera, but methods of controlling the disease have 

 been developed, resulting in the stimulation of that industry. 5 



Hunting wild boars has for centuries furnished exciting sport in 

 various parts of Europe and Asia. They are formidable antagonists. 

 Though hunting them with modern repeating rifles in expert hands 

 may not be especially dangerous, hunting them in the old-fashioned 

 way with spear and bow and arrow was very dangerous sport. In 

 India wild boars are said sometimes to kill tigers, 6 and they often kill 

 human beings, at least 51 people having been killed by them in one 

 year. 7 



1 Heller, The derivation of the European domestic animals, Ann. Kept. Smith- 

 sonian Inst. for 1912, pp. 483-491. Hewitt, The conservation of the wild life of 

 Canada, p. 310, 1921. 



2 Statistics of farm animals and animal products, Separate No. 976 from Year- 

 book U. S. Dept. Agric for 1927. Statistical Bull, U. S. Dept Agric., No. 20, 1927. 



s New York World Almanac for 1928, pp. 371, 376. 



4 U. S. Dept. Agric. Statistical Bull, No. 20, 1927. 



5 Hess, Less cholera more hogs, Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric. for 1918, pp. 

 191-194. 



6 Bryden, in Nature Lovers Library, v, 276, 1917. 



7 Science, xxxvii, 938, 1913. 



