Ruud notes that 'In 1774, a monstrous piglet, preserved in alcohol within a glass bottle, was delivered to El Real Gabinete de Historia Natural in Madrid, the first public museum in Spain. The deformed animal was a gift from Gasper Soler, govenor of the village of Almadén, and was one of the first monsters to be included in the cabinet's collections.' (15)

'The piglet donated by Gaspar Solar was accompanied by a humble letter underscoring his confidence in the director's authority. Soler wrote that he himself was not sure whether the small monstrous piglet was "worthy of being displayed at the Royal Cabinet of Natural History." He wrote that he nevertheless trusted that the museum director would decide this, since [the director of the museum] Dávila had "superior comprehension" of the matter. Soler also added that he was more than happy to wait for further orders from the director concerning his future contributions to the museum, and noted that he "truly wanted to satisfy the director."' (19)