THE INDIAN WILD BOAR 



(Sus cristatus) 



There is practically very little difference between the Wild Boar of 

 India and that of Europe and Western Asia (Sus scrofa), but the 

 Eastern animal deserves the honour of heading and illustrating this 

 article, as the noblest representative of the porcine race, since he is 

 unequalled in courage. 



In size a large Indian Boar will reach or even exceed a yard at 

 the shoulder, and the lower tusks will be about nine inches long, in- 

 cluding the portion embedded in the jaw. The Boar's tusks are very 

 curious as well as very formidable weapons ; they are simply enlarged 

 canine teeth, but have the peculiarity of growing continuously, and the 

 upper pair turn outwards and upwards instead of growing downwards 

 as upper canines usually do. The two pairs meet and work against 

 each other in such a way that they wear each other to an edge, which 

 much increases their efficacy as rippers. A Boar's tusks are most for- 

 midable when he is in his prime ; as he becomes older, the lower pair 

 get so long and curved that he cannot rip much with them ; and 

 though the increased length of the upper pair brings these into use, they 

 are not so effective. So, though the old Boar is more crusty in his 

 temper, he has less ability to gratify it. The skin of the beast's neck 

 is very thick, which is a great protection against the tusks of his rivals. 



In the Sow, which is smaller than the Boar, the tusks are quite 

 short, so that she does not rip, but bites, which she can do to some 

 purpose, for the typical Pigs have a very full and complete set of teeth. 



The Indian Boar, although its coat is not so long and thick as that 

 of the European species, is well covered with hair, which is of a 

 brownish or grizzled black in adult animals, becoming greyer with age. 

 The young Pigs are marked with longitudinal stripes of brown and 

 buff, this being the usual pattern in the young of this family, just as 



Odd 



