Hog, in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the class of mammalia and order of belliæ. There are four cutting teeth in the upper jaw, whose points converge; and, for the most part, fix in the lower jaw, which stand forwards: There are two tusks in each jaw, those in the upper jaw being short, while those of the under jaw are long, and extend out of the mouth. The snout is prominent, moveable, and has the appearance of having been cut off, or truncated. The feet are armed with divided or cloven hoofs. There are six species; the scrofa, ethiopicus, tajaffu, babynilla, porcus, and africanus. The most remarkable are,

1. The scrofa, or common hog, having the body covered with bristles; two large teeth above and below. In a wild state, of a dark brindled colour, and beneath the bristles is a soft short hair; the ears short, and a little rounded. Tame: the ears long, sharp-pointed, and flouncing; the colour generally white, sometimes mixed with other colours. In a tame state it is universal except in the frigid zones, and in Kamtschatka, where the cold is very severe. Since its introduction into America by the Europeans, it abounds to excel in the hot and temperate parts. It is found wild in most parts of Europe. In the forests of South America there are vast droves, which derive their origin from the European kind relapsed into a state of nature; and are what Mr Bancroft, in his History of Guiana, describes as a particular species by the name of Warree. They cannot bear excessive cold; inhabit wooded countries; and are very swift. In America they are useful by clearing the country of rattle-snakes, which they devour without danger.

Of all quadrupeds, the hog is the most rude and brutal. The imperfections of his form seem to have an influence on his nature and dispositions. All his habits are gross; all his appetites are impure; all his sensations are confined to a furious lust, and a brutal gluttony. He devours indiscriminately every thing that comes in his way, even his own progeny the moment after their birth. This voraciousness seems to proceed from the perpetual cravings of his stomach, which is of an immoderate size; and the grossness of his appetites, it is probable, arises from the bluntness of his senses of taste and of feeling. The rudeness of the hair, the hardness of the skin, and the thickness of the fat, render these animals less sensible to blows. Mice have been known History, to lodge upon a hog's back, and to eat his skin and fat, without his showing any marks of sensibility. The other senses of the hog are very good. It is well known to the hunters that the wild boar hears and smells at a great distance; for, in order to surprise him, they are obliged to watch him in silence during the night, and to place themselves opposite to the wind, that he may not perceive the smell, which never fails to make him turn back.

But the hog, though the most impure and filthy of all quadrupeds, is yet useful by the very fondness of its manners; this alone devouring what is refuse of all others, and contributing not only to remove what would be a nuisance to the human race, but also converting the most nauseous offals into the richest nutriment: for this reason its stomach is capacious, and its gluttony excessive: not that its palate is insensible to the difference of eatables; for where it finds variety, it will reject the worst with as distinguishing a taste as other quadrupeds.

The parts of this animal are finely adapted to its way of life. As its method of feeding is by turning up the earth with its nose for roots of different kinds, so nature has given it a more prone form than other animals; a strong brawny neck; eyes small, and placed high in the head; a long snout, nose callous and tough, and a quick sense of smelling to trace out its food. Its intestines have a strong resemblance to those of the human species. The external form of its body is very unwieldy; yet, by the strength of its tendons, the wild boar (which is only a variety of the common kind) is enabled to fly from the hunters with amazing agility: the back-toe on the feet of this animal prevents its slipping while it descends declivities, and must be of singular use when pursued. Yet, notwithstanding its powers of motion, it is by nature stupid, inactive, and drowsy; much inclined to increase in fat, which is disposed in a different manner from that of other animals, and forms a regular coat over the whole body. It is restless at a change of weather, and in certain high winds is so agitated as to run violently, screaming horribly at the same time: it is fond of wallowing in the dirt, either to cool its surfeited body, or to destroy the lice, ticks, and other insects with which it is infected. Its diseases generally arise from foul feeding and intemperance; measles, imposthumes, and scrophulous complaints, are reckoned among them. These are best prevented by keeping the animals, as the ancients strongly recommended, very clean in their sties; allowing them air, exercise, and a sufficiency of water. Linnaeus observes, that its flesh is wholesome food for athletic constitutions, or those that use much exercise; but bad for such as lead a sedentary life: it is, however, of most universal use; and furnishes numberless materials for epicurism.

The boar, or male of these creatures, is chosen with great care, when intended for the propagation of his species; and is thus employed from the age of two to five years, and then either fold or fattened. The males not allotted to this use are castrated, sometimes at the age of six weeks, and sometimes when they are six months old; and then fed to a great size either for sale or for the use of the family. Sows are kept for breed generally from one year old to seven, and are then spayed and fattened. They have commonly more grease on their intestines than hogs, these being fattened on their backs.

As to the age of these animals, it is said that the life of the wild boar may be extended to twenty-five or thirty years. Aristotle says, that hogs in general live twenty years; and adds, that both males and females are fertile till they arrive at the age of fifteen. They can engender at the age of nine or twelve months; but it is better to restrain them till they be eighteen months or two years. The first litter of the sow is not numerous; and, when only one year old, her pigs are weak, and even imperfect. She may be said to be in season at all times. Though full, she solicits the approach of the male. This may be regarded as an excess among animals; for almost every other species refuse the male after conception. The ardour of the sow, though almost perpetual, is however marked by paroxysms and immoderate movements, which always terminate by her wallowing in the mire. She, at the same time, emits a thick whitish fluid. She goes four months with young; brings forth in the beginning of the fifth; and soon afterwards solicits the male, is impregnated a second time, and of course brings forth twice a-year. The wild sow, which every way resembles the domestic kind, produces only once a-year. This difference in fertility is probably owing to want of nourishment, and the necessity of suckling her pigs much longer than the domestic sow, which is never allowed to nurse her young above fifteen days or three weeks. Only eight or nine of the litter are kept longer; the rest are sold. In fifteen days, pigs are excellent food.

As these creatures, though exceedingly voracious, will feed almost on anything, they are bred and kept everywhere, and are quickly and cheaply fattened. In miry and marshy grounds (from which they are not afraid) they devour worms, frogs, fern, rush, and sedge roots. In drier and in woody countries, they feed on hips, haws, sloes, crabs, mast, chestnuts, acorns, &c. and on this food they will grow fleshy and fat. They are a kind of natural scavengers, will thrive on the trash of an orchard, the outcasts of the kitchen, the sweepings of barns and granaries, the offals of a market, and most richly on the refuse of a sherry. If near the sea, they will search the shores for shell fish; in the fields, they eat grass; and in cities and large towns they are kept in great numbers, and supported chiefly by grains. It is evident that the facility of feeding them everywhere at a small expense, is a national benefit, more especially in a country where the people are accustomed to eat flesh daily, and could not perhaps perform their daily labour if they did not. It is no less observable, that notwithstanding this facility of feeding, and the multitudes of swine maintained, they seldom fail of coming to a good market. In no part of Europe is the management of these creatures better understood than in Britain. The time of farrowing is adjusted to the nature of the farm, the food it can supply; and the number of pigs sold and kept are in like manner adjusted. New kinds of food, more wholesome and nutritive than what were used formerly, have been introduced, such as turnips, carrots, clover, &c. They are in most places regularly managed and closely attended. Tuffer, many years since, affirmed from his own experience, that a sow might bring as much profit as a cow. In some counties, it is said, a sow dependent on a dairy hath produced, all expenses deducted, about 10l. in the space of a year. It may be some satisfaction to the reader to know, that, on a nice calculation, the annual profits of a sow in France are found to be between 50 and 60 livres.—In Britain, these animals in different counties are of very different sizes. In Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Pembrokehire, they are very large. In Hampshire, Wiltshire, and wherever they can run in the woods, and feed on mast and acorns, their flesh is firmer and better. The Chinese swine are common with us: they are smaller, blacker, and their legs shorter than ours: so that, when fat, their bellies literally touch the ground. They thrive exceedingly well with us, are very prolific, and their flesh very fine and well-tafted.

In considering the advantages derived from these creatures, it is to be observed, that the flesh of all their different kinds, and at all ages, is looked upon as a very substantial and agreeable aliment; and of course, in their proper seasons, the different sorts of provisions thus supplied are all of them very saleable. The wild boar was esteemed a prime delicacy amongst the Romans, and the flesh of the tame was much more in favour with our ancestors than with us; though brawn has still many admirers, is made in the greatest perfection, and considered as a rarity peculiar to this country. Pork, though it might be wisely prohibited in some warm countries, is found by experience equally nutritive and salutary here. As such it furnishes a very large proportion of that food which is vendied in our markets. It takes fat better, and keeps longer, than the flesh of any other animal; and the consumption of it is prodigious when pickled or salted, more especially in our foreign garrisons and in the sea-service. Our bacon is differently cured, so as to render it acceptable to all palates; and our hams are not at all inferior to those of other countries. Fresh pork sells nearly as dear as beef; the lard brings double or triple the price; the blood, the intestines, the feet, and the tongue, are all prepared as food. The fat of the intestines and web, which differs from common lard, is employed for greasing axes of wheels, and for many other purposes. Sieves are made of the skin; and brushes, pencils, &c. of the bristles. The dung is reputed next in value to that of sheep. Mr Worlidge * proposes that swine should be turned into a clofe well.† Survey of Hertfordshire.‡ They may feed, and by their trampling and their dung raise a great quantity of excellent soil. Mr Mortimer † affirms us ‡ that some, on poor light shallow land in Staffordshire, sow vol. i. a small white pea, which they never reap, but turn in to many hogs to eat them as they think they will fat; and there they lie day and night, and their dung will so enrich the land, that it will bring a good sward upon it, and will graze many years afterwards. Our old husbandmen had an ill opinion of this dung, as supposing it bred weeds, but it will probably not obtain much credit at present. In some places they wash with hogs dung for want of soap; which answers tolerably well, if the linen hangs long enough in the air to become thoroughly sweet.

The wild boar was formerly a native of our country, as appears from the laws of Hoel dda, who permitted his grand huntman to chase that animal from the middle of November to the beginning of December. William the Conqueror punished with the loss of their eyes any that were convicted of killing the wild boar, the stag, or the roebuck; and Fitz Stephen tells us, that the vast forest that in his time grew on the north side of London, was the retreat of flags, fallow-deer, wild boars, and bulls. Charles I. turned out wild boars in the New Forest, Hampshire; but they were destroyed in the civil wars.

On the continent the wild boar is hunted with dogs, or killed by surprize during the night, when the moon shines. As he runs slowly, leaves a strong odour behind him, and defends himself against the dogs, and often wounds them dangerously, fine hunting dogs are unnecessary, and would have their nose spoiled, and acquire a habit of moving slowly by hunting him. Mastiffs, with very little training, are sufficient. The oldest, which are known by the tract of their feet, should only be attacked: A young boar of three years old is difficult to hunt down; because he runs very far without stopping. But the older boars do not run far, allow the dogs to run near, and often stop to repel them. During the day, he commonly remains in his foil, which is in the most sequestered part of the woods. He comes out in the night in quest of food. In summer, when the grain is ripe, it is easy to surprise him among the cultivated fields, which he frequents every night. As soon as he is slain, the hunters cut off his testicles, the odor of which is so strong, that in a few hours it would infect the whole flesh. The snout of an old boar is the only part that is esteemed; but every part of the castrated and young boar, not exceeding one year old, makes delicate eating. The pork of the domestic boar is still worse than that of the wild boar; and it can only be rendered fit for eating by castration and fattening. The ancients castrated the young boars which they could carry off from their mothers, and returned them to the woods, where they grew fat, and their pork was much better than that of domestic hogs. There are several varieties of the common hog.

2. The *africanus*, or Ethiopian hog, with small tusks in the lower jaw, very large ones in the upper, in old boars bending towards the forehead in form of a semicircle: no fore teeth: nose broad, depressed, and almost of a horny hardness: head very large and broad: beneath each eye a hollow, formed of loose skin, very soft and wrinkled; under these a great lobe or wattle, lying almost horizontal, broad, flat, and rounded at the end, placed so as to intercept the view of anything below from the animal. Between these and the mouth on each side, there is a hard callous protuberance. The mouth is small: skin dusky: bristles disposed in fasciculi, of about five each; longest between the ears and on the beginning of the back, thinly dispersed on the rest of the back. Ears large and sharp-pointed, inside lined with long whitish hairs: tail slender and flat, not reaching lower than the thighs, and is covered with hairs disposed in fasciculi. Body longer, and legs shorter, than in the common swine: its whole length 4 feet 9 inches; height before, 2 feet 2 inches; but, in a wild state, it grows to an enormous size.—These animals inhabit the hottest parts of Africa, from Senegal to Congo, also the island of Madagascar. We know little of their nature; but they are represented as very fierce and swift, and that they will not breed with the domestic fow.

3. The *tajoua*, peccary, or Mexican hog, with four cutting teeth above, and six below: two tusks in each jaw; those in the upper jaw pointing down, and little apparent when the mouth is shut; the others hid: length from nose to the end of the rump about three feet: head not to taper as in common swine: ears short and erect: body covered with bristles, stronger than those of the European kind, and more like those of a hedge-hog; they are dusky, surrounded with rings of white; those on the top of the neck and back are near five inches long, grow shorter on the sides; the belly almost naked; from the shoulders to the breast is a band of white: no tail: on the lower part of the back is a gland, open at the top, discharging a fetid ichorous liquor; this has been by mistake called a navel.—Inhabits the hottest parts of South America, and some of the Antilles: lives in the forests on the mountains: not fond of mire or marshy places: less fat than the common hog. These animals go in great droves. They are very fierce, and will fight stoutly with the beasts of prey: the jaguar, or American leopard, is their mortal enemy; often the body of that animal is found with several of these hogs slain in combat. Dogs will scarce attack this animal: if wounded, it will turn on the hunters. They feed on fruits and roots; also on toads and all manner of serpents, which they hold with their fore-feet, and skin with great dexterity. The flesh is reckoned very good food; but all writers agree that the dorsal gland must be cut out as soon as the animal is killed, or the flesh will become so infected as not to be eatable. The Indian name of this species is *tapir*, from whence seems to be derived that of *pecary*. There are more varieties of this species, the *tajoua minor* and the *patera*.

4. The *babryssa*, or Indian hog, with four cutting teeth in the upper, six in the lower jaw; ten grinders to each jaw; in the lower jaw two tusks pointing towards the eyes, and standing near eight inches out of their sockets; from two sockets on the outside of the upper jaw two other teeth, twelve inches long, bending like hoofs, their ends almost touching the forehead: ears small, erect, sharp-pointed: along the back are some weak bristles; on the rest of the body only a sort of wool, such as is on the lambs: the tail long, ends in a tuft, and is often twisted: the body plump and square. Inhabits Buero, a small isle near Ambona: it is also found in Celebes, but neither on the continent of Asia or Africa; what M. de Buffon takes for it is the Ethiopian boar. They are sometimes kept tame in the Indian isles: live in herds: have a very quick scent: feed on herbs and leaves of trees; never ravage gardens like other swine: their flesh well tasted. When pursued and driven to extremities, they rush into the sea, swim very well, and even dive, and pass thus from isle to isle. In the forests they often rent their heads, by hooking their upper tusks on some bough. The tusks, from their form, are useless in fight.