2l8 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



gift ascribed to some persons of finding water 

 or metals in places where they are quite con- 

 cealed from the ordinary senses. Squirrels will 

 without the least difficulty find stores of nuts 

 and acorns buried far from any tree or other 

 perceptible landmark, even when the ground is 

 covered by a recent layer of snow ; and still 

 more wonderful stories are told of rats, termites, 

 and other creatures. Apparentl)^ however, the 

 hog, although, with the exception of ourselves, 

 perhaps the most versatile and resourceful mam- 

 mal in existence, does not possess any mental 

 faculties of this mysterious order. 



There are two other bodily peculiarities of the 

 pig which we fii;id of especial value — viz., his 

 tough skin and bristly coat. We will now 

 briefly discuss the natural origin of these. 



We have seen that the horse, the ass, the 

 sheep, and the goat found it necessary to re- 

 tire from low and marshy regions where cover 

 was abundant, and which swarmed with vora- 

 cious foes. Not so the wild hog : he stayed 

 and faced the danger. If you observe the 

 shape of a lean pig, you see at once that he 

 has been built for forcing his way through 

 dense cane-brakes and jungles. He is shaped 



