PART v.— JUDGING SWINE. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



THE ANATOMY OP THE HOG. 



The skeleton of the hog is characterized by certain in- 

 teresting features. The skull varies considerably in len^h 

 and profile, that of the wild boar being long and slanting, 

 while some domestic breeds have very short skulls with a 

 deeply concave face. The frontal bone rises from the 

 center of the face into a high crest, while at the opposite 

 end, at the snout, between the nostrils, is a small prenasal 

 bone shaped like a three-sided prism. Perhaps the most 

 striking feature of the skeleton is the skull. Youatt makes 

 the following interesting reference to it and its special 

 purpose :^ 



"A very slight comparison of the face of this animal with 

 that of any other will prove that strength is the object in 

 view; strength toward the inferior part of the bone. In 

 point of fact, the snout of the hog is his spade, with which 

 in his natural state, he digs and grubs in the ground for 

 roots, earth nuts, worms, etc. And to render his implement 

 more perfect, an extra bone is added to the nasal bone. 

 This one is short and trificial and placed directly before 

 the nasal bones, with which, and with the edges of the an- 

 terior maxillary, it is connected by strong ligaments, car- 

 tilages and muscles. This bone has been termed the spade 

 bone, snout bone, and by some writers the vomer, from its 

 supposed resemblance to a plowshare. By it and its carti- 

 laginous attachments is the snout rendered strong as well 



"The Pig, 1847, p. 78. 



473 



