sus 
fil wounds. Before these animals attain 
tleir third year they are gregarious, and, 
when danger is at hand particularly, they 
muster in numerous parties, and with great 
promptitude, at the signal of alarm. Unit- 
ing thus, they present so formidable an ar- 
ray, as speedily to disperse the enemy, few 
creatures, or none, daring to commence an 
attack against such a combination of strength 
and valour as they exhibit. When the wild 
boar is complete in growth, he depends up- 
on his solitary exertions for his protection, 
is seldom seen in society, ranging the forests 
alone ; rarely commencing an attack, as his 
food consists almost solely of roots and ve- 
getables, but repelUiig one with all the 
fierceness of courage, and all the resent- 
ment of rataliation. 
These animals are often hunted by dogs, 
particularly of the mastiff breed. After 
many' pauses in their progress, in which 
they turn round, and defy their enemies to 
the attack, which, however, is generally de- 
clined, they at length refuse to proceed, 
aud halt for the grand and final conflict ; 
in which, though eventually overpowered 
by the number of dogs, and the spears of 
the hunters, they defend themselves with 
the most astonishing intrepidity, perseve- 
rance, and energy ; and, regarding their 
case as absolutely desperate, determine, at 
least, not to die unrevenged. See Mamma- 
lia, Plate XXI. fig. 1- 
The common hog has smaller tusks and 
larger ears than the wild boar, and is gene- 
rally of a dull, or dirty, yellowish-white. 
It is clumsy in its shape, filthy in its man- 
ners, and gross and ravenous in its food, de- 
vouring almost every variety of rejected 
animal or vegetable substance, and dis- 
tinguislied by the quantity nearly as much 
as by the rankness of its food. The offal 
of the kitchen, garden, and barn, furnishes 
it with an exquisite banquet. It was re- 
jected as unclean both by the founders of 
the Jewish and Mahometan religion, as un- 
fit for human sustenance, for which it is, 
nevertheless, most admirably adapted, and 
of incalculable value. The sailors of the 
British navy are in a great degree support- 
ed by the flesh of that animal which Moses 
and Mahomet decided to be unfit for the 
food of man ; and in most countries of Eu- 
rope, it is an important and iudispensible 
article of the food of the inhabitants. The 
hog is possessed of an acute smell, and is’ 
highly agitated during the violent blowing 
of certain winds, uttering the most dread- 
ful screams, and exhibiting the highest rest- 
SUS 
lessness, apprehension, and turbulence. It 
is fattened to an extraordinary size, and has ^ 
been known to attain the almost incredible 
weight of 1215 pounds. It produces two 
litters in the year, and in each from ten to 
twenty young ones. The male must be 
kept at a distance from these, as it will 
otherwise destroy and devour them, and the 
female herself has often acted this unnatural 
part, and is particularly apt to do it, if ob- 
served attentively, during the crisis of par- 
turition. The hog was unknown in Ameri- 
ca when that quarter of the world was dis- 
covered by the Spaniards, but now abounds 
in every part of it. The Chinese breed is 
most valued in England. There is an acci- 
dental variety of the domestic hog with un- 
divided hoofs. 
S. Ethiopicus, or the Ethiopian hog, is 
very similar to the last. It is fierce aud 
formidable in the highest degree, and bur- 
rows in the ground, in deep recesses which 
it prepares with both its hoofs and nose. It 
is particularly distinguished by a large lobe, 
or wattle, beneath each eye. 
S. baby-roussa is remarkable for the form 
and situation of the upper tusks, which are 
placed externally, and turn upwards in a 
curve towards the forehead. It abounds in 
the Indian islands, lives solely on vegetables, 
and rests itself, in sleep, by hooking its 
upper tusks round the branch of a tree. It 
can swim with rapidity, and is valued for 
food. 
S. sajassu, or the Mexican hog, or pe- 
cari, is the only animal of the genus nativ ; 
of America, where it is gregarious, fierce 
and dangerous, and is occasionally seen in 
herds of several hundreds. It feeds on fruits 
and roots, and also on serpents, lizards, and 
toads, and will attack and devour the rattle- 
snake, we are told, without the slightest in- 
jury. It is less than the common hog, has 
bristles nearly resembling the prickles of 
an hedge-liog, and is also distinguished by 
an orifice on its back, from which perpe- 
tually issues a most fetid watery humour. 
The pecari will skin snakes by means of its 
teeth and feet, before it devours them, with 
great dexterity. The common hog is re- 
ported, on good authority, to attack and 
eat the rattle-snake with the same impu- 
nity as the pecari. For the baby-roussa, 
see Mammalia, Plate XX. fig. 2. 
SUSPENSION, or Points of Suspetision, 
in mechanics, are those points in the axis or 
beam of a balance, wherein the weights 
are applied, or from which they are sus* 
pended. 
