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THE WILD BOAR. (Sus scropha, Linn.) 



The wild boar has an extensive range throughout Europe, 

 Asia, and Africa, if the species of these quarters of the globe 

 be really identical as most zoologists conceive, but slight differ- 

 ences are observable between that of India and that of Germany, 

 and the identity of the Egyptian and European is doubted by 

 Sonnini.* In Europe, it is probably most abundant in Germany j 

 and it is still common in some of the French forests, even in 

 that of Chantilly, within forty miles of Paris, unless it has been 

 extirpated thence since the year 1830. In December 1833, 

 wild boars were so abundant at Finisterre, in the latter country, 

 that dreadful ravages were committed by them, and one actually 

 entered the town of Huelgoet. They were formerly common 

 in Britain -, but owing to the spread of population, the necessary 

 conversion of forest land into building ground and pasturage, 

 and the eagerness with which they were chased away from the 

 neighbourhood of man, these animals became extinct long since, 



* Hogs are now found in a wild state in some parts of America, though 

 they are not natives of that quarter, but were introduced by the Spaniards 

 soon after their conquest of the western regions. 



