276 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
Photo by ¥. Turner-Turner, Esq. 
DIVING-PIGS 
Half-wild pigs, found in Florida, where they live on refuse fish, (See next page) : . 
In India the wild boar of Europe and North Africa is replaced by a closely allied species 
(distinguished by a crest of long black bristles upon the neck and back), which furnishes some 
of the finest and most exciting sport in the world to mounted hunters armed with a sharp 
spear. There is not a pluckier or more fearless beast living than the boar; and as he carries 
long and extremely sharp tusks, and never scruples to use them, he is an exceedingly dangerous 
opponent when wounded and enraged. Severe and even fatal accidents have happened in the 
pursuit of this determined beast of chase. When at bay, the boar is absolutely reckless of 
life; and although pierced and mortally wounded by the spear, will yet force himself up the 
shaft, and with his dying effort inflict gaping wounds on the horse bearing his attacker. 
Indian shikaris, to illustrate the courage of the wild boar, say that he has the hardihood to 
drink at a river between two tigers; and Colonel R. Heber Percy mentions, in the Badminton 
volumes on “ Big Game Shooting,” that ‘‘several cases are on record in which an old boar 
has beaten off a tiger, and some in which the latter has been killed by a boar.. The boar's 
extraordinary activity and sharp tusks make him no mean adversary, and his short neck makes 
it difficult for a tiger to seize it and give it that fatal wrench with which he likes’ to polish 
off his victims.” A wild boar will stand as much as 3 feet at the shoulder — some sportsmen 
affirm considerably more—and weigh more than 300 lbs. The finest boar’s tusk known. is 
one mentioned in Rowland Ward’s “Records of Big Game.” This measures 114 inches over 
the curve. It came from the Caucasus, and is in the possession of Colonel Veernhof. 
It is worthy of note that, while the full-grown individuals of the various species of wild 
swine are uniformly coloured, their young are longitudinally striped and spotted. In India, 
besides the common boar, a tiny wild swine, known as the PyGmy Hoe, is. found in the 
Bhutan Terai and the forests of Nepal and Sikhim. This pig, which is little bigger than a 
fox-terrier, runs in considerable troops, or sounders, and is said to attack intruders into its 
domain much in the same fearless way in which the peccary of America defends its sanctuaries. 
The height of this diminutive species is given as from 8 to 10 inches —the weight at 10 Ibs. 
