250 NEW ZEALAND NATURE-STUDY BOOK 
know in other ways, the cloven hoof would indicate the 
natural haunts of the animal. 
A clean animal. Many people consider the Pig a dirty 
animal, but this a great mistake. Unfortunately the sties 
in which pigs are kept are often allowed to become filthy ; 
but that is not the fault of the animal but of those who 
do not provide it with means of keeping itself clean. Even 
under unpromising conditions pigs will try to keep the 
sleeping place in the sty clean; and when wild, after 
wallowing in the mud, they have been known to wash 
themselves in running water, before lying down to rest. 
The young. The number of little pigs appearing in a 
litter is great compared with the young of the Sheep or 
Horse. As a rule an animal which belongs to a large 
family born at the same time is exposed to a life of danger, 
hence the likelihood of only a few living to grow up. The 
larger the number born, the greater will be the chance of 
several surviving—it is for this reason that so many young 
ones appear in a litter. The little pigs, when born, are 
almost helpless and unabie to get about—indeed it is some 
time before they can run with their mother, and. for quite 
a long period of childhood they are exposed to danger. Con- 
trast the Pig in this connection with the Horse and Sheep. 
Uses. The flesh is used for food, either fresh, as 
pork, or salted, as bacon and ham. The skin can be 
tanned into a very useful leather (pig-skin) tough and 
durable, and largely used for covering saddles. The thick 
strong bristles growing on the back are used for making 
sweeping-brooms and various kinds of brushes, ¢.g., hair- 
brushes, clothes-brushes, tooth-brushes. The shoemaker 
also makes use of the bristles in sewing ; fastening one to 
the end of his waxed thread, he uses it as a needle. 
