98 EXTINCT BRITISH ANIMALS. 



the wildest and most picturesque land, a great part 

 of which was naturally wooded, and another part 

 artificially planted with larch, Scotch fir, and spruce. 

 About the year 1826 he received a present from 

 the late Sir William Ingilby of a German Boar, 

 and from Mr. Michaelis two Alpine boars and two 

 sows. The German boar was a large, powerful 

 animal, of a tawny red colour, and the others were 

 a dusky black. It was my father's intention to 

 turn them all out in the woods, and let them have 

 the free run of about two hundred acres ; but the 

 red boar was found to be so utterly irreclaimable 

 through his ferocity, that, so far as he was concerned, 

 the idea was given up, and the black boars and sows 

 only were allowed their liberty. A cross of the two 

 breeds was, however, determined on, and in sub- 

 sequent years the sows produced both red and black 

 progeny. 



" Although most formidable-looking creatures, the 

 Alpine boars were perfectly harmless, unless inten- 

 tionally irritated, and I must allow that their tempers 

 were occasionally tried by myself amongst others, 

 when they could be teased from some safe spot. 

 On such occasions they would stand with one foot 

 much advanced, and the head drawn back, and the 

 attitude was emphasized by a ferocious ' chopping' 

 of the jaws, till the foam used to fall on the ground, 

 and the great formidable tusks were alarmingly 

 displayed. I only wonder now why the numerous 

 blows on the head from large stones, which were a 

 part of the performance, were never revenged when 



