BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 93 



CHAPTER LI. 

 Of Swine 1 and their Natures. 



THE Sexes of the Herd of Swine 

 are united from the Time of the 

 western Wind (Favonius) to the 

 Spring* Equinox ; and when they are 

 eight Months old ; and in some 

 Places even at the fourth Month of Mtmtf.tom.rn. 



their Age up to the seventh Year. They farrow twice a Year; 

 they go with Young four Months. One Sow may bring at 

 a Farrow to the Number of twenty Pigs ; but she cannot rear 

 so many. Nugidius saith, that those Pigs which are farrowed 

 on the ten Days about the shortest Day of the Year, are 

 born with Teeth. They are fertile at one coupling, but be- 

 cause they are subject to Abortion it requires to be repeated. 

 The Way to prevent Abortion is to keep them asunder at 

 their first seeking, and before their Ears hang down. The 

 Males are not fertile after three Years old. Sows, when they 

 are feeble for Age, are rendered fertile as they lie along. 

 That a Sow should eat her own Pigs is not a Prodigy. A 

 young Pig is pure for Sacrifice five Days after it is farrowed ; 

 a Lamb at eight Days; and a Calf at thirty Days. But 

 Coruncanus denieth that Beasts which chew the Cud are 

 pure for Sacrifice until they have two Teeth. Swine that 

 have lost one Eye are not thought to live long after ; other- 

 wise they may continue until they are fifteen Years old, and 

 some to twenty. But they grow outrageous, and subject to 

 many other Kinds of Diseases, especially the Quinsy and 

 Scrofula. A Mark to show that Swine are sick is to pluck 

 a Bristle from the Back, and it will be found bloody at the 

 Root : also he will carry his Head with a Twist as he goeth. 

 An overfat Sow soon wanteth Milk ; and at her first Farrow 

 bringeth fewest Pigs. All the Kind of them love to wallow 

 in the Mire. They twist their Tails ; wherein this also is 



1 Sus scrofa. LINN. The Uog. Wern. Club. 



