166 
MAMMALIA. 
four canine teeth, curved outwards and upwards, can attain such 
dimensions as to become formidable weapons. The upper canine 
teeth are large, conical, and obliquely truncated on their anterior 
surfaces from their rubbing against the lower teeth. The lower 
canine teeth, in the shape of a triangular pyramid, are equally 
curved outwards and upwards ; hut their points are not sharp. 
With its snout, which is possessed of great strength, the Wild 
Boar can hollow out the ground to a depth of sixty centimetres. 
The Wild Boar’s foot rests on the toes, which are very close to 
each other. When it walks, it constantly places its hind foot as 
far forward as the heel and a little outside of the front foot. It 
often happens that a toe of one of its feet is longer than the other, 
and is twisted into the shape of a crescent ; these toes are called 
in French des pieds gaudies, which is abbreviated into pig aches. 
Till the age of six months, the young Wild Boar (which is 
called in French Marcassin) wears a livery : which is striped longi- 
tudinally with hands, the colour of which is alternately light and 
brown fallow on a mixed ground of white, brown, or fawn colour. 
In summer, Wild Boars are principally to he met on the out- 
skirts of forests, in the approaches to fields or vineyards, and 
near swamps, where they retire during the heat of the day to 
refresh themselves by wallowing in the muddy water. In autumn, 
they permanently reside in the forests, in the heart of which they 
establish their winter retreat. 
Dark, damp localities are generally chosen for their lairs : 
here they lie hid during the whole day, and only leave in the 
evening or at night to seek their food. They dig up the ground 
in search of worms and the larvae or grubs of cockchafers ; 
and they also devour reptiles, birds’ eggs, and all the young 
animals they can surprise. Field-mice, Moles, and even young 
Babbits are likewise favourite food. Acorns, chestnuts, and 
beech-nuts constitute a large portion of their vegetable diet. They 
often lay waste fields of potatoes, maize, and other grain. A 
whole crop is sometimes destroyed by these animals in a single 
night. When they root up the soil in search of their food, they 
invariably proceed in a straight line, and as the furrows which 
they make are as broad as their heads, experienced sportsmen 
can thus tell the size of the animal whose track they are 
following. 
