Hogs.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



99 



hog ; and the traditionary belief of the people in 

 regard to the original introduction of these animals 

 showed that they were supposed to be as anciently 

 descended as themselves. Yet the latter had no 

 knowledge of the wild boar or any other animal of 

 the hog kind from which the domestic breed might 

 be supposed to be derived." ('Quarterly Journal 

 of Agriculture.') 



Among our Saxon forefathers the hog was of 

 great importance : its flesh was a staple article of 

 consumption in every household, and a great por- 

 tion of the wealth of the farmers and landed pro- 

 prietors consisted of droves of swine, which were 

 attended by swineherds, thralls, or bondslaves, and 

 which ,were driven into the woods of oak and beech, 

 in order to feed on acorns and mast, and all the 

 while guarded from the attacks of the wolf. The 

 domestic hog of that period appears to have closely 

 resembled, in form and colour, the wild species, and 

 the old unimproved breed, now seldom seen, may 

 be regarded as its modern representative. (Fig. 

 433.) There are now in our island several breeds 

 of this useful animal, of acknowledged excellence, 

 the result of judicious crossings. The test of ex- 

 cellence is productibility, a readiness to become fat, 

 small bone, and the quality of the whole animal 

 when converted into bacon: size is of minor im- 

 portance. The introduction of the small Chinese 

 breed is one great source of improvement. The 

 Chinese hog is short in the head, with sharp neat 

 ears, low on the limbs, and high in the chine. It is 

 very prolific, and fattens readily. (Fig. 434, g.) 

 The prevailing colours are black or half black and 

 half white. This breed, or one closely allied to it, 

 extends from China throughout various groups of 

 islands in the Pacific. 



The breed nearest to the Chinese in this country 

 is the Suffolk (Fig. 434, f) : these are generally 

 white ; they are compactly made, and deep in the 

 chest. 



Another source of improvement is the Neapolitan 

 hog : this is a plump animal of a black colour, 

 without any hair, and with a singular predisposition 

 to become fat : it is however of a tender constitu- 

 tion. The pure black breed of Essex, which has 

 very little hair, is closely allied to it, and when 

 crossed with the Neapolitan produces a most valu- 

 able stock : a cross between the Neapolitan and 

 Berkshire breed is also in high esteem. A breed 

 between the Berkshhe, Chinese, and Neapolitan 

 may, by careful selection, produce every quality 

 which can be desired : great fecundity, an early 

 acquisition of fat, and moderate size, with admirable 

 form and proportions. Our group of hogs (Fig. 434) 

 represents — a, the wild boar; b, the old unimproved 

 breed ; c, the black or wire-haired breed ; d, e, boar 

 and sow of the improved breed ; /, the pure Suffolk 

 breed ; g, the Chinese breed. 



The domestic hog is by no means destitute of 

 intelligence, and little deserves the character of a 

 stupid filthy brute, as some are pleased to call it. 

 As regards filthiness, everything will depend on its 

 keeper : it is true that, like the elephant and hippo- 

 potamus, it delights to wallow in the mire ; but no 

 animal more luxuriates in clean straw, and when it 

 is styed up in filth justice is not done to it. The 

 hog is a " huge feeder," but so are the horse and ox, 

 and a fat hog is a more comely-looking beast than 

 one that is lean and ill-fed. With respect to intelli- 

 gence, we rank it far before the ox and horse, 

 though it is less docile. In Minorca it is used to 

 draw the plough, and works well ; and Pennant says 

 that in the district of Murray, between the Spey and 

 Elgin, it was formerly employed for the same pur- 

 pose, and that a credible eye-witness informed him 

 "• that he had seen in his parish there, a cow, a sow, 

 and two young horses yoked together and drawing 

 a plough in light sandy soil, and that the sow was 

 the best drawer of the four." The senses of taste, 

 smell, and hearing are possessed in great perfec- 

 tion by the hog: it is a saying among a certain 

 class of persons that pigs can smell the wind ; they 

 are certainly aware of the approach of a storm, and. 

 we have seen them agitated during its continuance, 

 screaming, and running about with straw in their 

 mouths, or carrying it to their sty as if to add to 

 their shelter. In Italy advantage is said to be 

 taken of the sense of smell with which this animal 

 is endowed in searching for truffles ; and in our own 

 country the famous sow Slut was broke in to the 

 gun, and stood to her game as stanch as the best 

 pointer. 



The genus Sus as at present constituted contains, 

 besides the common wild hog and its domestic re- 

 latives, two other species known to naturalists: of 

 these one is the Papuan hog, or Bene of the natives 

 of New Guinea (Sus Papuensis), figured and de- 

 scribed in the 'Zoologie de la Coquille,' by MM. 

 Lesson and Garnot. It is remarkable for its small 

 size, and its light and agreeable proportions, and 

 the shortness of the tusks. It is common in the 

 forests of New Guinea, where it is esteemed by the 

 native Papuans as delicate food: they contrive to 



catch these animals when young, and rear them in 

 a state of domestication. 



The other animal is the Woodswine of South and 

 Eastern Africa, and of Madagascar, the Bosch-Vark 

 of the Dutch colonists of the Cape (Sus larvatus, 

 Cuv.). This savage and formidable animal resem- 

 bles the wild boar~of Europe, but its head is larger 

 in proportion, its snout broader, and an elevated 

 callous protuberance is seated on the cheeks be- 

 tween the tusks and eyes, giving a revolting aspect 

 to the physiognomy. Prompt and vicious, the 

 Bosch-Vark is much to be dreaded in combat, its 

 strength and the size of its tusks rendering it. a 

 match for almost any foe. It dwells in excavations 

 in the ground, where it is dangerous to attack it, as 

 it rushes out suddenly from its retreat and deals 

 rapid destruction among its assailants. Dr. Smith 

 observes that this species is subject to great variety 

 of colouring, scarcely any two specimens being pre- 

 cisely alike : some are of a brownish black variegated 

 with white, and others are of an almost uniform light 

 reddish brown or rufous without white markings ; 

 and it is scarcely possible to say which is the most 

 prevailing style of colouring. The bristles are long, 

 particularly upon the upper parts of the neck and 

 back ; the canines are of huge size and strength : 

 the ears are short, and thinly covered both without 

 and within with coarse black hair, which is longest 

 at their tips. The tail is thinly covered with black 

 bristles. Average length of body, between four and 

 five feet ; of the tail, one foot. 



The discovery of the bones of an extinct hog of 

 huge size in the cavern of Sundwick in Westphalia 

 is due to M. Goidfuss. Bones of three distinct 

 species occur in the Epplesheim sand (Miocene 

 division of tertiary deposits, Lyell), and fossil relics 

 of a species have been found in Hutton Cave, in 

 Mendip, and in other places. 



Several species of an extinct genus (Chseropo- 

 tamus) closely allied to the hog have been disco- 

 vered in the gypsum of Montmartre, in certain 

 strata in Switzerland, and in the Eocene formation 

 of the Isle of Wight, &c. 



Genus Phacochcerus. — The animals contained in 

 this genus resemble the hog in manners, form, 

 and aspect, so that, were it not for the peculiarity 

 j of their dentition, they would necessarily be included 

 in the genus Sus. Their dentition, however, is so 

 different from that of the hog as to justify their se- 

 paration. Instead of presenting the ordinary struc- 

 ture, the grinders have a great analogy with those 

 of the elephant : they are composed of vertical 

 cylinders of enamel, enclosing an osseous deposit, 

 and are cemented together by cortical substance, 

 or crusta petrosa. It is long before the root of these 

 teeth is perfected, and they advance in rotation 

 from behind forwards, pushing before them the 

 first molars, which in old individuals are found to 

 be either greatly reduced or to have entirely dis- 

 appeared. It is not till after ceasing to push for- 

 ward that the roots become consolidated. With 

 regard to number they appear to vary. In the skull 

 of the Abyssinian Phacoehcere (Ph. iEliani, Riipp.), 

 which we have carefully examined, the molars 

 were found to be four on each side above and three 

 below. From the first molar above, which was 

 very small, to the third, the increase in size was 

 gradual, but the fourth molar was long and nar- 

 rowed gradually as it proceeded backwards. Had 

 the animal lived much longer, it is probable that 

 the first molar would have disappeared : the denti- 

 tion would then have been as represented in Fig. 

 436. The incisors were two above and six below. 

 The tusks were enormous. It would seem that the 

 presence of incisors is variable ; for in the South 

 African species they either do not exist or are un- 

 developed. Cuvier states that vestiges of them are 

 sometimes found under the gum ; but in specimens 

 from Cape Verde the incisors are generally com- 

 plete. 



Fig. 436 is one side of the upper jaw of the South 

 African Phacoehcere : Fig. 437, one side of the lower 

 jaw of the Cape Verde species : Fig. 438, a lateral 

 view of the last molar tooth, which may be compared 

 with the molar of the elephant. 



The head of these animals is enormously large 

 and heavy ; the eyes are small and set high on the 

 forehead, which is depressed between them ; under 

 each eye is a large coarse fleshy lobe ; and a warty 

 excrescence appears on each side of the muzzle, be- 

 tween the eye and the tusks. The muzzle is very 

 broad, and the ears are erect. 



435. — The South African Phacochcere 

 (Phacochcerus JEthiopicus, F. Cuvier), or Vlacke 

 Vark of the Cape colonists. The phacoehcere found 

 in Guinea, at Cape Verde, and along the Senegal, 

 is regarded as distinct from the present species by 

 F. Cuvier, in consequence of the possession of 

 incisors ; and is termed by him Ph. Africanus. The 

 range of the South African phacochcere, or Vlacke 

 Vark, does not appear to be precisely determined ; 

 formerly it existed within the limits of the Cape 



colony, and still lingers on the frontier districts, 

 but is much more common in the remoter latitudes. 

 In the frontier districts these animals seldom venture 

 to seek their food during the day ; but in the coun- 

 tries inhabited by natives who are destitute of the 

 efficient arms of the colonists they are at all times 

 to be met, though their favourite feeding-times are 

 early in the morning, late in the evening, and even 

 during the night, if it be moonlight. When disturbed 

 in its retreats, and especially when hunted, the 

 Vlacke Vark is a very dangerous animal ; for though 

 it will not turn out of its way to give chase, yet if 

 brought to bay, or forced to extremity, it attacks 

 with furious impetuosity, and strikes with its tusks, 

 which are dreadful weapons : it has been known to 

 cut with one stroke completely through the fleshy 

 part, of a mans thigh. We learn that though this 

 animal is used as food by the colonists, the Hotten- 

 tots, and Bechuanas, it is rejected by the Coast 

 Caffres, who are much more particular as to what 

 they eat than any other natives of South Africa, 

 and consider as an inferior class the persons who 

 consume as food the articles which they hold as 

 prohibited. The top of the head, the upper part of 

 the neck, and the anterior part of the back are 

 covered with very long and rigid bristles of a black- 

 brown colour, those on the top of the head diverging 

 like the rays of a circle. On the other parts the 

 hair is shorter and of a dull brown, slightly inclined 

 to white on the belly and flanks. The tail, except 

 along the top, where it is furnished with a number 

 of blackish brown bristles, is nearly naked. Length 

 of head and body, about five feet ; of the tail, about 

 eleven inches. 



439, 440.— The Abyssinian Phacochcere 



(Ph. JEUani, Riippell). This species was found by 

 Riippell first in Kordofan, but afterwards in greater 

 abundance on the eastern slope of Abyssinia. It 

 haunts low bushes and forests ; and has a habit of 

 creeping on its bent fore-limbs in quest, of food. In 

 this attitude, it uses its tusks in digging up or tear- 

 ing out of the ground the roots of plants, which 

 constitute part of its diet. When thus engaged it 

 pushes its body forwards by means of its hind-legs, 

 in order to move along. This habit of kneeling to 

 feed has been observed in the species from Cape 

 Verde. We have occasionally noticed it in the.. 

 common hog. 



441, 442. — The Anoplotherium. 



Our figures give Cuvier's restoration of the out- 

 lines of two species of the extinct group of Pachy- 

 dermata termed Anoplotherium, the fossil relics of 

 which, mixed with those of the PalEeotherium, 

 occur in the gypsum-quarries near Paris, and also, 

 though more rarely, in the neighbourhood of 

 Orleans and Genoa. These Anoplotheria are 

 remarkable for the characters of their dentition ; 

 the teeth consist in each jaw of six incisors, two 

 canines, and fourteen molars, reckoning both sides 

 together; and these are arranged in a continued 

 and uninterrupted series ; without any vacancy 

 between the incisors and the canines, or between 

 the canines and the molars. The canines resemble 

 the incisors in form, and might be mistaken for 

 them ; the four posterior molars are like those of 

 the rhinoceros. The feet are cloven as in the deer, 

 being divided into two toes, sheathed with a hoof 

 at the extremity ; in the deer and other Ruminants 

 the metacarpal and metatarsal bones are blended 

 into a single canon-bone, but in the Anoplotherium 

 they are separate as in the hog. Allied to the 

 Pachydermata in some points, and in others to the 

 Ruminantia, the Anoplotheria appear to have occu- 

 pied an intermediate station between these two 

 great orders : their heads, judging from the skull, 

 partook of the form of that of the horse and of the 

 camel ; the snout was not elongated into a pro- 

 boscis as in the tapir or the elephant. The xlnoplo- 

 theria are divided into three subgenera, on various- 

 minor details of structure. The restricted division* 

 Anoplotherium Proper comprehends two species*, 

 viz., A. commune (Fig. 441), about the size of the 

 ass, and the A. secundarium, about the size of the 

 hog. These animals were low on the limbs, and 

 probably resembled the tapirs in therr habits, but 

 were furnished with a long tail compressed horizon- 

 tally at the base, and rendering them more essen- 

 tially aquatic : they resorted to lakes and marshes 

 in search of aquatic plants, and, as the flattened 

 form of the tail indicates, must have swum and dived 

 with greater ease than either the hippopotamus or 

 tapir. 



The subgenus Ziphodon contains but a single 

 species (A. gracile : Fig. 442), a light, slender, 

 graceful creature, with much of the contour of the 

 gazelle : it was probably fleet and active, and was 

 confined to the dry land, where it fed like the deer. 

 The tail was short, and in this respect and in its 

 general figure, as the skeletons prove, it must have 

 exhibited a complete contrast to the low-built, 

 heavy Anoplotherium commune. The third sub 



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