THE SWINE. 
203 
hard pressed, however, the Swine are a race that 
can subsist on almost any thing placed within 
their reach ; and scarcely any sort of food, 
either animal or vegetable, comes amiss to them. 
“ Voracious” is therefore the title which has been 
most commonly applied to them. 
The sense of smell is extremely acute ; it is 
almost the only sense employed when the animal 
is rooting up the ground ; and a little attention 
to a herd so occupied, will soon shew with 
what subtlety it is employed : scarcely a small 
root or a worm escapes ; and on every fresh turn- 
ing of a few inches of ground, this useful instru- 
ment is employed in trying by smell the disturbed 
fragments. On the Continent, this faculty is said 
to be sometimes employed by having the animals 
trained to hunt for truffles, when, we suppose, they 
will act as both finders and diggers. But the most 
remarkable instance of the culture of this sense 
in the Sow, was exhibited in the animal which 
belonged to Col. Thornton, and which was taught 
regularly to hunt, quarter the ground, and to back 
the other pointers. When hunted alone, her scent 
was very sure ; and in one or two instances, she 
was known to stand steadily at snipes. In this 
instance, the training was accomplished by good 
treatment, and a reward of bread carried in 
the pocket of the keeper. The Wild Boar in the 
Parisian Menagerie was taught to go through 
