חזיר. The wild boar is considered as the parent stock of our
domestic hog. He is smaller, but at the same time stronger and more
undaunted, than the hog. In his own defence, he will turn on men or
dogs; and scarcely shuns any denizen of the forests, in the haunts where
he ranges. His colour is always an iron grey, inclining to black. His
snout is longer than that of the common breed, and his ears are
comparatively short. His tusks are very formidable, and all his habits
are fierce and savage. It should seem, from the accounts of ancient
authors, that the ravages of the wild boar were considered as more
formidable than those of other savage animals. The conquest of the
Erymanthian boar was one of the fated labours of Hercules; and the story
of the Calydonian boar is one of the most beautiful in Ovid. The
destructive ravages of these animals are mentioned in Psalm lxxx, 14.
Dr. Pococke observed very large herds of wild boars on the side of
Jordan, where it flows out of the sea of Tiberias; and saw several of
them on the other side lying among the reeds by the sea. The wild boars
of other countries delight in the like moist retreats. These shady
marshes then, it should seem, are called in the Scripture, “woods;” for
it calls these animals, “the wild boars of the woods.”
domestic hog. He is smaller, but at the same time stronger and more
undaunted, than the hog. In his own defence, he will turn on men or
dogs; and scarcely shuns any denizen of the forests, in the haunts where
he ranges. His colour is always an iron grey, inclining to black. His
snout is longer than that of the common breed, and his ears are
comparatively short. His tusks are very formidable, and all his habits
are fierce and savage. It should seem, from the accounts of ancient
authors, that the ravages of the wild boar were considered as more
formidable than those of other savage animals. The conquest of the
Erymanthian boar was one of the fated labours of Hercules; and the story
of the Calydonian boar is one of the most beautiful in Ovid. The
destructive ravages of these animals are mentioned in Psalm lxxx, 14.
Dr. Pococke observed very large herds of wild boars on the side of
Jordan, where it flows out of the sea of Tiberias; and saw several of
them on the other side lying among the reeds by the sea. The wild boars
of other countries delight in the like moist retreats. These shady
marshes then, it should seem, are called in the Scripture, “woods;” for
it calls these animals, “the wild boars of the woods.”