84 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

of the evening, from Constantinople to Therapia.  Pass-
ing a vineyard, he observed an animal of large size rushing
forth from among the vines. The Greek syrogee, who was
riding first, exclaimed, ‘ Wild boar! wild boar!’ and really
it did prove a wild boar, who was retreating from the vine-
yards to the woods. ‘What has the wild boar to do with
the vineyards?’ said Mr. Leeves. ‘Oh,’ said the syrogee,
‘it is the custom of the wild boars to frequent the vine-
yards to devour the grapes.’ And it is astonishing what
havoc a wild boar is capable of effecting during a single
night. What with eating, and what with trampling under
foot, he will destroy an immense quantity of grapes. With
what fatal propriety does this affecting image retain its
force up to the present moment! Still is the vine of Israel
broken down, ravaged, cut down, burnt with fire.”

The oriental wild boars do infinite mischief to fields,
plantations, gardens, and vineyards; and the custom of the
Greeks and Romans, of sacrificing a hog to Ceres at the
commencement of harvest, and one to Bacchus before the
vintage, shows that they also suffered from their attacks on
the corn-field and vineyard.

It would appear from the account in the 8th chapter of
Luke, that the Jews reared swine, though they were for-