1897.] SPECIES OF POTAMOCH(ERtrS. 363 



breeding purposes, Nathusius states (' Eacen des Schweines,' 1 860, 

 and 'Vorstudien,' 1864) that in English agricultural writings from 

 the beginning to the middle of last century it is stated that besides the 

 Chinese and Eomanic Pig, the Bed Pig from Gruinea has been used 

 in England for crossing. Nathusius quotes no particular author, 

 and I have not been successful in mj inquiries in the library of the 

 Eoyal Agricultural Society, where no books of the last century 

 seem to be kept. The only paragraphs found to the purpose are the 

 following : — John Laurence ' says : " The African Hog is red or 

 sandy in colour, with a small head, long, slender pricked ears, soft 

 and short hair, and a long tail touching the ground. I know 

 not whether this be the same variety used in this country as a 

 cross under the name of the African." David Low is somewhat 

 more positive ^ : — " ITogs are sometimes introduced from Africa, 

 and mingled with the other races. Those from the coasts of the 

 Atlantic are termed Guinea Pigs, their descendants are of tolerable 

 size and square form, and fattened with sufficient facility." 



To conclude on this matter. Whilst the question as to the 

 rearing and crossing of the Guinea Hog in former times, either in 

 America or in England, is still an open one, there is no doubt in 

 my mind that the Potamochoerus penicillatus (Schinz) must be 

 called 



Potamochoerus porcus (L.). 



The South and S.E.-African Potamochcerus (P. africanus, auctt., 

 P. larvatus, Fr. Cuv. part.) must be called 



Potamochcerus choeropotamus (Desmoul. 1831); 



for ^'■Sus africanus, Gmel., 1788," the Phacochoerus africanus, has 

 priority over "/Sms africanus" Schreber, the figure of which (head), 

 without text, was published, according to Sherborn^, in 1791; 

 besides, this figure might as well have been taken from the 

 Madagascar species. The description of Sus larvatus of Er. Cuvier 

 (1817) is mainly based on a skiill of the Madagascar Wild Boar, 

 and partly on the drawing by Samuel Daniell *, a caricature of 

 Phacochoerus, with some admixture of Potamochosrus, which could 

 never stand as the type of a species. 



1. Potamochcerus lartatus (E. Cuv.). (Plate XXV. fig. 2 and 

 Plate XXVI. fig. 2.) 



This name must, for the reason given above, be reserved for 

 the Malagasy Wild Boar, of which, for the present, I can only 

 acknowledge one species. 



Particular interest attaches to the Wild Hog of Madagascar, on 



' John Laurence. A General Treatise on Cattle : London, 1805, p. 510. 



- David Low. The Breeds of'theDomestic Animals of the British Islands. — 

 Vol. ii. (London, 184:>), " Hog," p. 18. 



■' P. Z. S. 1891, p. 587. 



* Samuel Daniell. African Scenery and Animals,— No. 21 : " The African 

 Hog": London, 1805. 



24* 



