SWINE (AS. stria, Goth. 011G. stein, Ger. Schircin, swine; connected with Lat. suinus, relating to swine, from sus, Gk. us, hys. Av. ku, pig, 0110. sit, Ger. San, AS. saga, sit, Eng. sow, and ultimately connected with Skt. sit, to gen erate, produce. or with Skt. sakara. swine, lit. sit, maker). The family Suidai, containing those cloven-hoofed ungulate mammals whose domesti cated races are called hogs or pigs. The swine are closely allied to the Hippopotomidm, on the one hand, and to the Dicotylidm on the other; the latter (peccaries, q.v.), indeed, are some times included in the term in popular usage. The three families form a group. Snina. Swine differ from hippopotamuses in their smaller size, in the terminal nostrils, and mobile, gristly snouts with which they obtain their food (large ly roots and herbs) by grubbing in the ground. Each foot has four digits, two of which are functional, while the others, although elevated, are often useful in preventing the foot from too readily sinking into marshy ground. They are generally hairy, the babirussa (q.v.) being an exception. The dentition is complete and of the character exhibited by the accompanying illus tration of a hog's teeth. The great canines form tusks, which in the males (boars) become for midable weapons; and in some cases (as the babirussa) are doubly developed. The food consists largely of vegetable matter, but may include tough roots, nuts, etc., and also flesh, fish, shellfish, etc.; the stomach is simple, and there is no cmcum (except in the peccaries). These animals are somewhat gregarious, often gathering into small bands, and some peccaries form large herds. The boars fight terrifically in competition for the favor of the females (sows), and valorously defend their young (which are usually striped) ; they are also courageous in resisting all foes, so that the hunting of cer tain species affords exciting sport. The pork is
usually nutritious and palatable. The family is not large, and is mainly tropical in its distribu tion. The Suidm are confined to the Old World; the Dieotylidm to the warm latitudes of Ameri ca. The type-genus is SUP., of which the wild boar (sec Bona) of Europe and Asia is the most prominent species. India and the Malayan re gion have together three other species, and West ern Africa possibly it fifth. The African wart hogs (q.v.) include two species of the genus Phacochterus, distinguished from Sus principally by the huge tusks and great protuberances on the face. The Celebesian babirussa (q.v.) represents alone another genus; and the African river-hogs close the list with two species. One genus and two species enumerate the peccaries. See Hoc for an account of domestic races.
Fossil forms of the genus Sue are known in rocks of Middle Miocene to Pleistocene time in Europe, India, and Africa. The earliest repre sentatives of the hog family appear in the Eocene of both North America and Europe, and the group reached an important stage of evolution in late Tertiary time. One notable genus, not, how ever, in the direct line of pig ancestry, is Elothe rium of the Miocene, which was about the size of a rhinoceros, with large heavy head, massive shoulders, and small hindbody and narrow chest, and the body supported on stilted legs that ter minated in two-toed feet.