UNGULATA 



37 



many years ago and gave one to Mr d'Auvergne's father. From these 

 facts, Mr Hardcastle builds up the theory that the white-shouldered 

 pig amongst the wild New Zealand pigs is the descendant of a distinct 

 breed. 



" Perhaps the most interesting specimen of the wild pig in this Do- 

 minion," he adds, "is the blue pig found in the Mount Grey and Karetu 

 districts, North Canterbury. The blue colour is produced by a blend of 

 apparently equal numbers of white and black hairs. So fixed is the type 

 that blue pigs may be found in a htter with blacks or black and whites. 

 The blue pig, evidently, is the result of a cross between a black pig and a 

 white pig, and the progeny crossed and inbred until the two breeds are 

 absolutely blended as far as colour is concerned." 



Mr J. Drummond (1907) says: 



They multiplied astonishingly, and enormous numbers assembled in 

 uninhabited valleys far from the settlements. At Wangapeka Valley, in 

 the Nelson Province, Dr Hochstetter in i860, saw several miles ploughed 

 up by pigs. Their extermination was sometimes contracted for by experi- 

 enced hunters, and Dr Hochstetter states that three men in twenty months, 

 on an area of 250,000 acres, killed no fewer than 25,000 pigs, and pledged 

 themselves to kill 15,000 more. 



Even much earlier they must have been very abundant, both 

 tame and wild, for nearly every seaUng and whaling vessel which 

 visited these islands between 1800 and 1830 took away quantities 

 of pork as part of the cargo to Sydney. 



Aston (191 6) speaks of the wild pigs in the high country of 

 Marlborough as being remarkably tame, apparently from never seeing 

 human beings. 



Two sows, in response to our grunts, came out of the bush on to the 

 ridge, and as we remained perfectly still, they came up close and smelt us. 

 My companion made a grab at one leg, and pig and man went rolling down 

 the hill together. 



At the present time they are still common in nearly all bush 

 country which is not too near settlement, and to those who like the 

 element of danger in their hunting they afford good sport. They are 

 usually pursued by dogs, often especially trained for the purpose, 

 which after a time succeed in bailing up their quarry. They prefer 

 to take their stand in the hollow of a tree or some such locality, and 

 an old boar will often do considerable damage to the dogs before he 

 is despatched. The orthodox manner of attack is to run in and stab 

 them, but a man without a gun has Uttle chance if he ventures to 

 close quarters with a bailed-up boar. 



As regards the Southern Islands, pigs were landed on the Auckland 

 Islands in 1807 by Captain A. Bristow, and were reported as numerous 

 by Hooker in 1840, and by Enderby in 1850. Captain Musgrave, who 



