WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 
the most cleanly habits, not surpassed by those of any 
other pet. The Red River hog is certainly the handsomest 
of the group; this species is a native of Western Africa. 
The next species is the Southern River hog {Potamoclmrus 
africanus) ; this animal, although not equal in its appear- 
ance to its western relative, is an extremely good-looking 
animal. The contrast is very great between these and 
one of the ugliest brutes in creation, the wart hog of 
South - Eastern Africa {Phacoclmrus cetliiopicus), whose 
frightful and ferocious face must be seen, for description 
would fail to give any idea of its ugliness. Between these 
extremes we have a number of species varying in size and 
appearance ; probably the most marked is the common 
wild boar of Europe, differing but little from that of Asia. 
There have been also from time to time exhibited in the 
Gardens, Timorese swine {Siis tiinorensis) from Timor, 
Andaman swine {S. anclamanensis) from the Andaman 
Isles, Papuan pigs {S. ijapuensis), Formosan swine (>S^. 
taivanns) from Formosa, white-whiskered swine {S. leu- 
comystax) from Japan, pigmy hog {Porcida salvania) from 
the Western Dooars of Bhotan, the Babirussa {Babirussa 
alfiirus) from Celebes, Ilians wart hog {Phacoclioerus 
o.fricanus) from Africa, and the white-lipped peccary 
{PicotyUs lahiatm) from South America. 
It will be seen by the foregoing that a large portion of 
the world is inhabited by species of this family. 
The origin of domestic pigs is, like the origin of most 
of our domestic animals, so obscure that it is unsafe to 
attempt to speculate on the subject. 
In India both Brahmin and Mussulman reject the flesh 
of the wild boar as food. Detestation of the hog is a feel- 
ing entertained from remote antiquity. It was classed by 
the Jews amongst the vilest animals; and in Egypt the 
swineherd was numbered among the profane, and forbid- 
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