breed appears to have spread extensively over most of the southern shores of the old continent.
To these he adds the Turkish hog, the New Guinea hog, De Witt's hog, and the smooth or short-legged swine, the two latter of which evidently derive their origin from a cross with the Siamese and some other breed, and all of which fatten easily and to a great weight, and are good breeders.
The swine in Normandy are, even to the present day, of the large, gaunt, grizzly race, common in some of the south-eastern counties of England and Germany. Mr. Wilson informs us that in the time of Buffon, by far the greater proportion of the swine in the north of France were perfectly white, as were also those of Vivarais; while in Dauphiny, which is not far distant, they were all black. Those of Languedoc and Provence were likewise black. This is a curious fact, and seems to prove, beyond a doubt, that the parent stock of these two opposite colors was totally different, and also that there was little intermixture or crossing among the breeds of these places, but that the races were preserved pure and distinct. He also mentions that latterly a new variety of the porcine race has been introduced under the name of "Le Pore de Nobles" which appears to have been derived from the improved English breed, which originated from a cross between an Anglo-Chinese sow, and an emancipated wild boar. This answers very well, and is much esteemed on account of the delicate flavor of its flesh.
In Champagne the breed of pigs are white, long-limbed, flat-sided, hollow in the flanks, and having large ears.
In Quercy the breed is of a moderate size, has a small short head, little ears, and a curved back; most of these pigs are spotted, but there is more of black than white in them.
In the department of Mayenne, and along the Oudon, some very valuable kinds are found, which have been carefully bred, and reared expressly for the purpose of improving the French breeds of pigs. There are two distinct varieties, the one called the "Craon Breed," which has a long body, short legs, and a back so broad that even when the animals are lean the spine does not project. These fatten well and easily, but do not begin to make much flesh until they are eleven or twelve months old, after which they rapidly develop themselves, and attain an immense weight.
The other variety is designated the "Valley Breed"; here, too, the legs are short, the body of a medium length, the back extremely broad, the ears large and falling to the tip of the snout, which is short and wide; the back is covered with bristles, the tail finished with a tuft of the same, and from the under-jaw two hairy appendages similar to those of a goat depend. Pigs of this breed fatten well, and may be killed at any age.
In the province of Bresse, in the neighborhood of Lyons, of the
