2IO WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



render the animals valuable to us were of essen- 

 tial service in preserving them from extinction 

 during long epochs before the commencement of 

 their captivity. 



We now chiefly regard a live hog as so much 

 perambulating bacon. His other qualities, both 

 moral and physical, are almost totally eclipsed, as 

 far as we are concerned, by ideas about the 

 number of pounds of pork which we hope — and 

 intend — to inherit from him. Yet, as I hope to 

 show, the pig is by no means the gross and un- 

 intelligent beast he is supposed to be by many 

 people who have to do with him. There are 

 certain points in his character which it is difficult 

 to describe or appraise without using terms which 

 "we generally consider appropriate to the highest 

 human virtues. 



But since we always put the pig's carcass 

 before his soul, and, when considering the car- 

 cass, think chiefly about the amount of grease 

 which it contains, let us first inquire whence he 

 gets his most praiseworthy aptitude for laying on 

 fat. Of course it is plain that no wild animal 

 could long exist in the condition of the prize hogs 

 which we see exhibited in agricultural shows. 

 Lony - continued and assiduous care has been 



