4()£ COMMON HOG. 



animals to have made any mistake, we might ima- 

 gine tliat this formidable creature, which had long 

 committed its ravages in the park of Cognac, be- 

 longed to a totally different species. It was of 

 enormous size, with a very long head, a very 

 sharp or pointed snout, and its mouth was armed 

 with teeth of a very singular form. The hairs of 

 the body were white ; those of the head yellowish ; 

 the neck marked with a black band in form of a 

 cravat, and the ears large and strait; and what 

 appears surprising, considering its size, it was of 

 imcommon SAviftness. 



To describe particularly the common or Doines- 

 tic Hog would be superfluous. It may be suffi- 

 cient to observe, that this animal principally dif- 

 fers from the Wild Boar in size, in having smaller 

 tusks, and larger ears, which are also somewhat 

 pendent, and of a more pointed form. In colour 

 it varies very considerably, but the prevailing cast 

 is a dull yellowish white, marked or spotted irregu- 

 larly with black ; sometimes perfectly plain or 

 unspotted, sometimes rufous, and sometimes to- 

 tally black. The general habits of this creature 

 are well known. Of all quadrupeds the Hog is 

 the most gross in his manners, and has there- 

 fore been pretty uniformly considered in all na- 

 tions as the emblem of impurity. The Jews 

 were strictly enjoined not to eat its flesh; and in 

 many parts of the world, a similar prohibition is 

 still in force ; since the Mahometans agree in 

 this respect with the Mosaic institution. In most 

 parts of Europe, on the contrary, it constitutes a 



