402 THE WILD BOAR. 



but the exact period is not known. The Welsh legislator, Hoel 

 Dda, who died in the year 948, prohibited his grand huntsman 

 from chasing the wild boar at any other time than between the 

 middle of November and the beginning of December. William 

 the Conqueror punished with the loss of their eyes any persons 

 that were convicted of killing the wild boar, the stag, or the roe- 

 buck ; and Fitz- Stephen says that the vast forest which, in his 

 time, grew on the north side of London, was the retreat of wild 

 boars, stags, &c. A breed not far removed from the wild boar, 

 if, indeed, they were not among the last of the pure race, seems 

 to have existed in one of our forests not a great many years 

 ago. Gilpin, in his Remarks on Forest Scenery (17Q1), after 

 remarking that some owners let their hogs run wild and breed 

 in the New Forest, Hampshire, and are content with the profit 

 on such as they are able to regain, says there is also a breed 

 of hogs there " commonly called forest pigs, which are very 

 different from the usual breed of that country. The forest hog 

 has broad shoulders, a high crest, a thick bristly mane, which 

 he erects on any alarm. His hinder parts are light and thin, 

 his ears are short and erect, and his colour either black or 

 darkly brindled. He is much fiercer than the common breed, 

 and will attack an ordinary-sized dog. All these are charac- 

 teristic marks of the wild boar, from whom I have little doubt 

 that he is partly descended, though his blood may be mixed 

 with the common breed. Once, when I was lying very still 

 under a beech, the leading boar of a large herd of forest swine 

 came grunting forward, followed by all his tuneful band. Had 

 they not been swine, I might tell the truth and say the sight 

 was as beautiful as interesting. They were in fine condition ; 

 their bodies were as clean as if they had been daily washed and 

 combed ; their bristles shone like silver ; their eyes reflected 

 the sun's rays ; and altogether their free and happy appearance 

 recalled the romance of forest life. When alarmed, they galloped 

 off, helter-skelter, with a speed which none but swine of the 

 forest could have exhibited. Though much more picturesque 

 than the common hog, they are much less prized, as the 



