538 ON THE DOMESTIC PIG OF 



As the interpretation I suggest of the proportions observed to 

 exist between the length and height of the lacrymal bone depends 

 upon the method of gradations, as applied not only to several 

 varieties, but indeed to several species of Suidae, as well as upon a 

 history of the development of the bone, it will be well now to give 

 a short list of those species — pointing out the particulars which 

 justify their claim to that rank, and contrasting them with the 

 aggregate of characters which do enable us, as a matter of fact, 

 to differentiate such forms as Sus cristatus from Sus scrofa^ possibly 

 without justifying us in considering them distinct species. 



And first of Sus barbatus. I am in no way inclined to give too 

 much weight to differences in colouring or in character of hair or 

 bristles ; still a glance at the drawing of this animal in S. Muller's 

 ' Verhandl.' taf. 30, showing its half-black, half-tawny, wavily, not 

 crisply, curling beard, its ochraceous dorsal stripe, and its tail 

 ending in a considerable brush, impresses one with the idea that it 

 is impossible that the bony substructures should not make some 

 approach at least to a similar diversity from other forms of Suidae. 

 This anticipation was fully borne out by an examination of four 

 skulls, two of which are in the British, and one in the Oxford 

 Museum — and of Schlegel's figure of the skull described by him, 

 and S. Miiller, 'Verhandl.' pp. 173, 179-181, and taf. 31. figs. 

 4 and 5. 



The skull of Siis barbatus is absolutely longer than the skulls 

 either of Sus scrofa, var. ferus, or Sus cristatus ; and relatively to 

 the body its length is considerably greater, being, as given by 

 Fitzinger, no less than § of the length of the trunk. The contour 

 described by its sagittal suture is strikingly different from that 

 described by the corresponding suture in most other Suidae ; its 

 highest point is some way in front of the plane of the occipital 

 squama, and occupies a level far above the plane occupied by the 

 anterior half of the frontal or by the nasal bones ; and these latter 

 bones make up more than one half of the entire length of the 

 skull, resembling herein the typical Sus scrofa, whilst the naso- 

 frontal suture resembles that of Sus cristatus. Its maximum inter- 

 zygomatic width is in the middle of that arch, not at its posterior 

 border as in most* other Suidae. 



In addition to these larger points, the following may be men- 

 tioned as having a great morphological importance, though relating 



