btained much celebrity," etc. etc.

He then quotes from _The Complete Grazier_, sixth edition, as follows:
"They are black and white, short haired, fine skinned with smaller heads
and ears than the Berkshire, but feathered with inside hair which is a
distinctive mark of both; have short snubby noses, very fine bone, broad
and deep in the belly, full in the hind quarters, but light in the bone
and offal. They feed remarkably fast and are of an excellent quality of
meat. The sows are good breeders, and bring litters of from eight to
twelve; but they have the character of being bad nurses." If this
allegation were true at the time it was written, it is not at the
present time as the Half-Blacks or sheeted sows are both prolific and
first-rate mothers.

Malden describes the Sussex: "A large breed called the Rudgwick, was one
of the largest in England. There appears to be a doubt as to whether the
coloured pig was descended from the spotted Berkshire or the black and
white Essex. They were of medium size, of good quality generally, but of
somewhat heavy bone." The generally accepted view is that the Essex
sheeted pig was descended from importations from the county of Sussex.
These sheeted pigs are still occasionally met with in Essex, but the
system of crossing which is generally followed by pig breeders in the
county is gradually reducing its number, although even amongst the
cross-breeds the peculiar marking occasionally shows itself. At the time
of writing there is a movement on foot to form a society for the purpose
of reviving the breed. From the utility point of view the sheeted pig
has much to recommend it, but whether or not one or more of the breeds
of pigs whose pedigrees are already recorded do not possess at least
equal merits must be left for decision by others.

SPOTTED PIGS

In many districts are found other parti-coloured pigs, but in these the
black, the white, and the red colours show themselves in spots of
varying size and extent. Probably amongst the best types of these
spotted pigs is the one found over the greater part of the county of
Northampton, and portions of the counties of Leicester and Oxford
adjoining. In the former county the pigs have more of black than white
in their colouring, whilst in the two latter red spots are more often
seen. This is probably due to a stronger infusion of the blood of the
Staffordshire red pig which is now known as the Tamworth. The blood of
the Neapolitan pig thr