THE WILD BOAR. 



Ill 



Her leaping powers are extraordinary, over water 

 or timber. On one occasion she cleared some palings 

 three feet ten inches in height. As she had young 

 only in the summer time, I suspect they breed \)\\t 

 once a year in the wild state." 



This confirms the statement of Turbervile to the 

 effect that the Wild Boar produces only one litter 

 in the year. 



It was formei'ly the custom on Christmas Day at 

 Queen's College, Oxford (whether still observed or 

 not, we cannot say), to bring into hall a boar's head 



BOAR IS EAST CHEAP. 



with great ceremony and song, as described by 

 Aubrey in one of his MSS. preserved in the Ash- 

 molean Museum. Tradition represents this usage of 

 Queen's as a commemoration of an act of valour per- 

 formed by a student of that college, who, while walk- 

 ing in the neighbouring forest of Shotover, and read- 

 ing Aristotle, was suddenly attacked by a wild boar. 

 The furious beast came open-mouthed upon the 



