The wild white cattle of Great Britain. An account of their origin, history, and present state

Contents

CHAPTER If.

Origin of Cattle—Hvropean Races of Cattle—Fossil Species—Small Celtic Ox probably descended from Bos Longifrons—The larger Races from

Bos Urus—Historical Notices of the Urus . : 0 6 o ahha

Chapter II

Allied Races of White Cattle—Prejudice against White unfounded—Antiquity of the Colour—White preferred for Religious Ceremonies and Festivals —White Cattle imported for such Purposes from the native Country of the Urus—No Authority for the Opinion that the Urus was Black—The Augsburg Picture—Apparent Connection between the Urus and various domestic Races of White Cattle—The Charolais Breed—The Friesland Ox—Holstein Cattle—Hungarian—Transylvanian—Cattle of the Russian Steppes—British Wild Cattle similar in all important Characteristics —All probably descended from the ancient Urus . : : : eG

Chapter III

_The Urus in ancient Britain—Fossil Remains found in both the Stone and Bronze Ages—Likely to survive much later in the North—Harly Notices of Wild Cattle—Such Notices relate to Southern England—Hxtreme Wildness of the Northern Mountainous Districts—These Districts the last Home of British Wild Animals 3 ; 6 é : 9 . 50

Chapter IV

From Forest to Park—Gradual Extinction of Wild Animals in Forests, whilst still remaining in the Parks—Historical Notices of Wild Cattle in Parks—Tradition of Saint Robert—Park Cattle the great Improvers of the Durham or Teeswater Cattle—The Studley Herd a White Breed —The Bishop of Durham’s White Cattle at Bishop Auckland—The Crest of the Nevill Family a White Bull—Chillingham—The Chillingham Cattle perhaps from the Royal Park at Chatton—Naworth—Frequent Mention of Wild Cattle under the Name of “ Wild Beasts” —Leigh Park, Somerset . ‘ é ‘ P j : : ; F a GAl

Chapter V

Ancient Domestic Races of White Cattle in England and Wales—Notices of them scarce, and not found as expected in Records of the Monasteries

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CONTENTS.

—Custom at Knightlow Cross—Coincidence of this Custom with the Local Legend of the Wild Cow of Dunsmore Heath—White Cattle in Wales and especially in Pembroke—Notices of them in ancient Welsh Laws—Four Hundred presented to the Queen of King John—Distinctness from other Welsh Cattle—Herd at Vale Royal—Ballad of “‘ Hughie the Greme ”—The Lyrick Herd . 2 : 5 i

Chapter VI

Wild White Cattle in ancient Scotland—Former Wildness of the Country—Purity and Trustworthiness of Highland Traditions—Traces of White Cattle in Local Names—Allusions in Sir Walter Scott’s Works —‘‘ Duneraggan’s Milk-white Bull”—Description by Boethius of the Wild Bull—The Turnbull Legend—Boethius confirmed by other Testimony on the most disputed Points—Bellenden and Leslie regarding the Bull’s “ Mane ”’—Localities mentioned by Bishop Leslie—Clear Distinction drawn by him between the Wild White Cattle and the Kyloe Breed—Discoveries of Bones of the Urus in Scotland—Their comparatively small Size —Desirability of further Investigation by Geologists

Chapter VII

Chillingham Herd—Mentioned by Culley and Pennant—Bewick’s Account—Differences in these Statements—Brief Account of Chillingham—Lord Tankerville’s Account of the Herd—Riitimeyer’s Opinion— Notice in 1689 corroborates Bewick as to Colour of the Hars—Further Particulars by Lord Tankerville—Jesse’s Statement that the Herd was once reduced to one Cow in Calf incorrect—Mr. Hindmarsh’s Account— Last published Account of the Herd by “‘ The Druid” in 1870

Chapter VIII

Chillingham Herd (continwed)—Shooting of a Bull by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales—Visit of Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell, Mr. Booth, and Mr. Thornton —My own Visit in 1874—Length of Time the Calves are suckled— Desirability of examining Creswell Moss for Fossil Remains . a

Chapter IX

The Chillingham Herd (continued)—The Chillinghams essentially Wild Cattle

The

—Attacks upon’ Mr. Hope—upon Lord Ossulston—and the Keeper— Landseer’s Pictures—Thin Red Line above the Muzzle—a Characteristic of the Herd—The Mane—Tendency to Black in Hars and Horns—and of Black Spots . : 0 9 : : 5 : 3 4 5 CHAPTER X.

Chillingham Herd (continued)—Constitution and Government of the Herd—Combats of the Bulls sometimes fatal—Calves produced at all Seasons—Concealment of the Calves—Sick Animals often gored— Weight and Quality of Meat—Statistics of the Herd, past and present —Questions of Fecundity and Inter-Breeding—No Proof that the Herd has never been crossed—Herds of Deer crossed—No Difficulty formerly in obtaining a Cross—Probability that the Herd has been crossed

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CONTENTS. a

Chapter XI. Page

The Chartley Herd—Early Notices ef these Cattle as “ Wild Beasts ”»— Black Calves considered a fatal Omen—My own first Visit—Grand and massive Character of the Cattle—The Herd ‘‘ Long-horns’—My Second Visit—Peculiar Characteristics of these Cattle—They resemble those in Somerford Park—Not so wild as the Chillingham Cattle— Black Calves—Attempts to cross the Herd—White Cattle in the Neighbourhood—Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell’s Description—Mr. Thornton’s 218

Chapter XII

The Lyme Park Herd—The Legh Family—Hansall’s Account of the Herd— My own Visit, 1875—Details given by Mr. Legh—Attempts to procure a Cross—Result of the Chartley Cross—Curious Result of the Polled Gisburne Cross—Habits of the Old Lyme Cattle—Larger than any existing Wild Breed in this Country—The Burton Constable Herd —Refusal of Information—Bewick’s Account—Destruction of the Herd by Distemper—Probable Origin of the Herd . 6 . : : . 245

Chapter XIII

The Somerford Park a Domesticated Herd—Probably Connected with the Lyme Park and Chartley Herds—My Visit in 1875—Points of the Cattle—Their Fine Milking Qualities—Probable Use of Diluted Crosses —Antiquity of the Herd—Its Origin—Interesting Hvidence as to Colour of the Wild Cattle—The Wollaton Hall Herd—Existing in 1790—Was a Polled Herd—Mr. Burton’s Account—Rev. Mr. Willoughby’s—This Herd only semi-domesticated—Extinguished by Negligence and In-breeding—Probable Origin of the Wollaton Herd—Greater Tendency to Black in the Southern Herds ‘ : 0 . . 3 5 BS

Chapter XIV

The Gisburne Park Herd—Related to the Middleton—Bewick’s Description in 1790—Whitaker’s, in 1805—A Polled Herd—Originally from Whalley Abbey—or possibly from Middleton—Its semi-domesticated Character—Became Extinct in 1859—Lord Ribblesdale’s Account— Rey. T. Staniforth’s—Mr. Assheton’s—The last Animal killed on Nov. 10, 1859—The Herd perished from In-breeding—This often perfects the Individual, but annihilates the Race—The Middleton Hall Herd—Dr. Leigh’s Account, in 1700—Then ‘‘ Wild Cattel”—and Polled—Probable Origin—Finally removed to Gunton Park . 0 . 277

Chapter XV

The Gunton Park Herd originally from Middleton—Progress towards Domestication in Norfolk—Portrait of the original Lancashire Bull— Lord Suffield’s Description—Mr. Coleman’s—Resemblance to the Polled Cattle of Somerford Park—The Herd extinct, save in Off-sets from it— Influence in the District—Blickling Hall Herd descended from the a

Vi

CONTENTS.

Gunton Park Cattle—Rev. G. Gilbert’s Report in 1875—Severe Injury to the Herd from Cattle Plague—Characteristics of the Cattle—Quite Domesticated—The Woodbastwick Herd—A\so from the Gunton Cattle —Not now Pure—Calves exchanged with Blickling—Crossed with Short-horns in 1864— Rev. G. Gilbert’s Report in 1875—These White Polled Cattle quite distinct from those of Scotland or the Eastern Counties— White Cattle of Brooke House—Proofs of the Influence of the Wild Breed upon English Domestic Cattle . . > - °

Chapter XVI

Extinct Seottish Herds—The Cumbernauld Herd—History of the Cumbernauld Hstate—Historical and Heraldic Notices of the Cattle—Their Hxtinction—The Drumlanrig Herd—Notices of the Cattle, and their Extinetion—The Auchencruive Herd—The Ardrossan Herd—Introduced about 1750—Abandoned im 1820—Tradition that the Cattle were originally horned—Removal of the last Specimens to Duchal, and Disappearance there . . 3 - c

Chapter XVII

Existing Scottish Herds of White Cattle—The Hamilton Herd—Mr. Brown’s

Description — Differences between the Hamilton and Chillingham Cattle —-Nearly extirpated during the Cromwellian Period—Probability of their being Crossed then and subsequently—Further Probability that

PAGE

. 320 they were formerly Hornless—Now only partially so—Mr. Chandos- |

Pole-Gell’s Account—The Athole Herd—Sold in 1834—and then divided —Lord Breadalbane’s Portion lost as a Pure Herd—But crossed with other Cattle—The Duke of Buccleuch more successful—James Aitchison’s Account of the Dalkeith Herd—Slaughtered in 1838, with sole

Exception of one Bull—The Kilmory semi-wild Herd—How formed by Sir John Orde—Last Cross in 1852—Present State and Management of the Kilmory Herd—Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell’s Account of it

CHAPTER XVII.

Conclusions—General Resemblanece in the White Herds—White not im-

The Turnbull Legend probably the Colour of the Ancient Urus—Differences—These Differences extend even to Structure—Proof the White Herds afford of the Destructive Effects of In-breeding 3

APPENDIX I.

APPENDIX It.

A List of Localities where Wild White Cattle or their Descendants are proved to have existed .

. 307

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

peer rere

PAGE MoLpDAVIAN OXEN . : ; j 6 i ; : 3 ; 5 WHITE CATTLE AND LION, FROM POMPEII . ‘é ; F ; - ao Supposep “ Bos Urus” . ‘ , : ; ; : ; ; = 826 CHAROLAIS DRAUGHT Ox. 5 3 : ‘ ‘ i ‘ ; . ol HUNGARIAN BuLL ., , ; is : : ‘ : ‘ > Sts} CATTLE OF RUSSIAN STEPPES , i Z . A : : ; . A6 STIRLING CASTLE . ‘ ‘ : ; 6 : ; ‘ : . 134

HEAD OF CHILLINGHAM BULL SHOT By H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES . 169

HEAD OF A CHARTLEY BULL , 5 5 5 ‘ 5 ‘ : 5 PPS GROUP OF CHARTLEY CATTLE . ; F : ‘i i : ‘ . 229 HORNS OF CHARTLEY CATTLE, ‘ 5 , , 5 ; 5 . 242

GUNTON WHITE BULL, SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM THE

MIDDLETON HERD . F : 0 F 3 p : A Aeeroi ip a i i “ 1 , oy n, 7 , ; Wee : 1 vi he oe rf Ve ‘ yt om ete j ti Petes

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Preface

It is with pleasure that I feel myself in a position— although after some inevitable delay—to place before the public the present work. Its author, unfortunately, did not live to altogether complete his researches ; still less to give the results of them to the world with that precision and accuracy which would have satisfied him ; and the want can now never be supplied. It was, indeed, in a great measure, the conscientious care with which he sought information upon every doubtful point, even when apparently only trifling, and the zeal with which he investigated every accessible record of the past that he thought could throw even the most partial light upon the subject of his investigations, which, more than any other cause, prevented him from seeing this book published in his lifetime. And this will be found, I fear, to be a loss to others besides himself; for in the case of a work of this kind—dealing, as it does, with many undecided questions, upon some of which great differences of opinion exist—it is a double misfortune when the author does not live to complete and to publish it himself. First, because it has not been in his power thoroughly to reconsider, with the whole before his eyes, what he has asserted ; to weigh again objections, and to clear up x PREFACE.

by the latest obtainable information any points which he might have regarded as being doubtful. Secondly, because no one but the author can so satisfactorily maintain his views after publication, reply to objections, and make concessions, if, after controversy, any of his opinions are found untenable.

Such considerations should not be disregarded by the reader, if anywhere in these pages he meet with some statement or opinion not wholly, as he thinks, — in accordance with another expressed elsewhere. The book has not been harmonised, nor its contents collated, by any last review of its author, so as to bring about a complete verbal agreement in all cases. A little reflexion will generally show that there is no real inconsistency. It may also very well happen that the opinions expressed will appear to be less clearly established than they might have been, had the power of reply remained with the author. He alone was competent to have adequately defended his own views.

Still, in spite of all these drawbacks, I cannot but hope that the present work may not only be found of a positive value with reference to the subjects with which it deals, and interest many who follow kindred pursuits to those the author took so much delight in; but that it will appeal also to a wider public. Nothing ought to have more interest for us children of a high civilisation than to look back to earlier and ruder times, when men were few and wild beasts plentiful; and nothing, I think, does interest us more. To us, living as we do in a land cultivated lke a garden, where scarcely a wild creature could exist without strict preser-

PREFACH. xi vation, and where our very wastes are more or less artificial, it is refreshing to find ourselves breathing a new atmosphere, so to speak ; roaming through the primeval forest, and pondering on its wild yet fruitful life. This is the spirit which takes men into the heart of countries now desert, and makes them the companions of wild beasts and savages. It arises from that love of nature and of adventure which is the salt of life; and hardly in any form can it be more harmlessly and profitably employed than when it leads us to a retrospect of our own country in ages past, and to a study of the animals which wandered wild in its then vast woods and wastes. Whether the declining herds of our Wild Cattle now existing are lineally descended from the Urus, or have some other origin, is a question of high interest, though only to a few; but a picture, such as the author has endeavoured to give us, of our native England as it once was, has, I should say, a wider interest.

When the author died I found the work, although quite sufficiently advanced for publication, yet not altogether finished. The accounts of the several herds, with two exceptions (those of Hamilton and Kilmory), may be, I think, regarded as having received all but the last verbal corrections of the writer, and are substantially as he would have published them. The earlier portion of the book, too, was in a very forward state, as will be seen, and contains a succinct yet complete general history of the Wild Cattle of this country, and of kindred races abroad. Still, I am inclined to believe that, if Mr. Storer had lived, this part of the book would have been at least partially re-written and rexii PREFACE.

arranged. He had been m constant correspondence with many persons in all parts of the country able to give him more or less information since he wrote it, and this might perhaps have induced him to extend and amplify some portions of his narrative. At any rate he would doubtless have submitted it to a complete and severe revision. In particular, I may state that with regard to the early history of the Urus he was much struck with the fact, lately brought to his notice, that wild bulls, presumably of this type, were hunted by early Assyrian monarchs, as recorded in the series of Egyptian and Assyrian documents called “ Records of the Past; if and that various portraitures of these animals, upon both bowls and wall-paintings, are preserved in the British Museum. If he had lived to investigate this subject, the results would have been given to the public. The same remarks apply equally—perhaps with even more foree—to the concluding chapter.

The account of the Hamilton herd was also left incomplete, for the reason that the author was, up to the time of his death, busily engaged in endeavouring to obtain information with regard to the curious change from horned (presumably, at least) to polled, and then again from polled to horned, which this herd has undergone. I was, therefore, obliged to use for this book an earlier narrative which Mr. Storer had left of this, as of several other herds, incorporating with it a report upon the cattle of this strain now existing, written by Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell. That of the Kilmory herd seems complete, except that a similar report from the same gentleman had not been incorporated with it.

PREFACE. xili

The text of the book has been left by me in all respects as Mr. Storer left it, with the sole exception of a few merely verbal corrections. A few notes it seemed well to add are carefully distinguished. In every case I have been most particular to preserve the exact meaning of the author, even to the minutest shade.

The only other alterations are the omission of Youatt’s description of the Chillingham cattle from the account of that herd, and the relegation of the history of Turnbull from the text to an Appendix. These seemed justified, the first by the sufficiency of detail with which the Chillmgham herd is already treated; the second by its being largely episodical. For the headings of the chapters I am responsible, with the advice and assistance of the publishers ; to whose co-operation, indeed, I am largely indebted in the task of preparing the book for the press.

It remains only for me to thank, in my father’s name—as he would have done, I am sure, far more amply and in detail if he had been living—all those who assisted him in procuring information. These were very numerous, and include persons of almost every rank in life, and of a great variety of occupations. Some—indeed many—were particularly kind, and took very great trouble in helping my father to obtain that large amount of detailed information, without which his researches must have been to a great extent without result.

JoHN STORER.

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION.

——

Tere exist now, and there have existed in this country from the earliest historic times, herds of White Cattle, perfectly distinct, and of a different breed from its ordinary domestic races. Some of these herds seem to have been always wild, some more or less domesticated, and in other respects also they somewhat varied —as might have been expected, living as they did in localities far apart, and subjected as they were to various modes of treatment. But in colour they were everywhere alike, and everywhere different from others ; and though among domestic animals nothing is so fleeting and variable as colour, yet even among these a persistency of the same tint during long ages clearly indicates the antiquity of the race. How much more is this true when not only, as in the case of the White Cattle, the same general colour has been preserved under the most adverse circumstances, but when small and oftentimes wnobserved minutiz of secondary markings have everywhere distinguished them.

While, then, a few of our wild white herds of cattle, and some memory of others recently extinct, remain, let me, though incompetent in many respects to undertake so arduous a task, call attention to these most ancient races—races preserving in Great Britain alone, in some degree, their former character, and to which, I xvi AUTHORS INTRODUCTION.

feel confident, many if not all of our modern breeds of cattle owe to some extent their present value and improvement. In another generation it will perhaps be too late to attempt this; on the Continent the opportunity is long since past. In this country also many herds have died out, and the memory of them is rapidly vanishing; while the aggressiveness of the nineteenth century, of modern ideas of breeding incompatible with the nature of things, or neglect, are only too lkely to tell on those which still remain. In the time of Bewick, fifteen years less than a century ago, these white herds, once very numerous, as Bewick himself affirms, were reduced, according to his account, to five: two others, of which he gives a brief description, having become extinct a few years before that time. Of these five herds which he mentions, three have come to an end within the present century, and another is in a state by no means flourishing. I hope, however, to show that there were in the time of Bewick other herds of the White Cattle in existence; now, day by day, those which yet remain decrease in number, and even the owners of the few survivors are in some cases little aware of the antiquity of their herds. It is high time then that public attention should be called to these interesting relics of past times, before it is too late.

It seems, indeed, remarkable that such races have survived so long as they have; for their colour is disliked by almost all British breeders, even in the central portions of the island; while in the remoter parts—in Sussex, Devon, Wales, and the Highlands of Scotland— to extirpate every vestige of white in their cattle has been the fashion amongst the inhabitants for ages; and in Ireland a white bull is—as indeed he would be in most

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION. xvii parts of England or Scotland in the present day—nearly or quite unsaleable. ‘The white herds could not have held their own, as they have done, in spite of this mass of prejudice, had they not possessed the prestige of great antiquity, and been derived from a race long considered of superior value to all others. Old traditions clustered round them, and gave them an unique value and interest in the eyes both of their few and usually rich owners, and of the people of the neighbourhoods in which they were kept.

Bewick was a Northumbrian, and well acquainted with the Chillingham herd. He was a wood-engraver, living at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and in spirit combined with truthfulness his engravings of animals have never been surpassed; he was also a clever and enthusiastic naturalist. In 1790 he published his “General History — of Quadrupeds,” illustrated by his own engravings. His statement in that work is as follows:—‘‘ There was formerly a very singular species of Wild Cattle in this country, which is now nearly extinct. Numerous herds of them were kept in several parks in England and Scotland, but they have been destroyed by various means; and the only breeds now remaining in the kingdom are in the park at Chillmgham Castle, in Northumberland; at Wollaton, in Nottinghamshire, the seat of Lord Middleton ; at Gisburne, in Craven, in Yorkshire; at Limehall, in Cheshire; and at Chartley, in Staffordshire.” In addition, he mentions the herds at Burton Constable and Drumlanrig, then recently extinct.

In this account Bewick does not allude to the Hamilton herd, now so well known, possibly for reasons which I shall afterwards consider. Nor does he take any xviii AUTHORS INTRODUCTION.

notice—it may be because they were no longer wild— of cattle resembling them in form and colour, which were then not uncommon in several parts of England, Wales, and Scotland; though the similarity of their descent to that of some of the wild herds was not only strongly indicated by their own character and appearance, but in certain instances was confirmed by their history.

The universal colour of these herds was white; in general pure, approximating, however, in a few instances, tocream-colour, but with certain points otherwise coloured, and these points generally é/ack. The tips of the horns, the muzzle, the circle round the eyes, the hoofs, were in all the herds black; in some the extremity of the tail was of the same colour; while the ears in all were either black or brownish-red inside, and wholly or partially of the same colour outside the ear also. In most of them the front part of the fetlock, particularly of the fore-legs, was marked with black, and in all there were a few black hairs on the leg, a little above the hoof. In all of them, too, there was I believe a tendency, more or less slight, to produce small black or bluishblack spots on the neck, and even sometimes on the body. All were subject to occasional variations. Individuals were born, though somewhat rarely, with more than the average amount of white on the horns, ears, about the eyes, on the muzzle and hoofs, or on some of these parts; and in some, black, or black-andwhite calves now and then appeared: but these last were always destroyed when young, in order to ets the original characteristics of the ard

In ‘all cases and in all parts, dozens of vvnedece living far distant from each other, have testified to the

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION. xix superior quality of the beef of the Wild Cattle, as being in flavour and excellence far more delicious than that of any other breed. Where partially domesticated, they were generally found most valuable in consequence of their milking powers; and there are sufficient indications to lead us to believe that they were formerly of large size.

It may seem somewhat strange to people now, considering that White Cattle are still seen very frequently, to assert that the herds of that colour, which can be traced to a very high antiquity, are to be regarded, on account of their being of that colour, as of a peculiar race. Yet history plainly indicates that in Great Britain this was in reality the case. Ancient laws and allusions show us clearly that the white cow or bull, with red or black ears, was preferred to all others. This was the breed especially selected by great men and religious bodies to retain—much more frequently than now—in their enclosed domains ; and we cannot for an instant doubt that it was so selected on account of its superior value, or that its distinctiveness and peculiarity of colour with reference to other breeds was formerly much more highly prized than it is in the present day. The greater part of these herds—and especially those belonging to the monasteries—became fused with the ordinary cattle of the country some three hundred years ago; and even where this was not the case, their improving influence was probably considerable. In the following pages the reasons for and the nature of this influence will be attempted to be shown.

The origin of the British White Cattle is obscure. On the one hand, local tradition, in many parts of the country far separated from each other, declares some of

XX AUTHORS INTRODUCTION.

them at least to be of the aboriginal wild breed of the British forests—an opinion supported by some historical statements and some osteological examinations. On the other hand, the recent inquiries of certain eminent scientific men have led them to doubt the truth of this, and to believe that these cattle were more recently, though anciently, imported from abroad. My own opinion is not disguised, but is not, I hope, too dogmatically expressed. The whole subject is at present involved in doubt, and not ripe for an absolute solution. Much further research and investigation are, I think, required; and my principal business seems to be to throw light both on the present and the past, and thus to give some assistance to others more competent than myself towards arriving at a satisfactory conclusion.

* * A portion of this Work has appeared in Zhe Live Stock Journal, to which paper the Rev. John Storer was a frequent contributor, under the nom de plume of ‘ Historicus.”

Le WihLD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

—_+0—_——

Chapter I

Origin of Cattle—European Races of Cattle—Fossil Species—Small Celtic Ox probably descended from Bos Longifrons—The larger Races from Bos Urus—Historical Notices of the Urus.

Brrore I proceed to describe the British Wild White Cattle as they now exist, it seems desirable to state what is known of their origin: and history. The European cattle—generally included under the name Bos tauwrus— as a whole differ much in structure, habits, and osteological formation from the humped kinds which inhabit tropical countries—called in India Zebus, and to which the name of Bos Indicus has been given. Mr. Darwin * comes to the conclusion, that ‘there can hardly be a doubt, notwithstanding the adverse opinion of some naturalists, that the humped and non-humped cattle must be ranked as specifically distinct.” To this it must be added that most existing Huropean cattle are supposed to descend from some one or more of the “ two or three species or forms of Bos, closely allied to living domestic races, which have been found fossil in the more recent tertiary deposits of Europe.” These were, it is

* For this and the following quotations, see Darwin’s “ Animals and Plants under Domestication,” vol. i., chap. iii.

B presumed, distinct species, for “they co-existed in different parts of Europe during the same period, and yet kept distinct. Their domesticated descendants, on the other hand, if not separated, cross with the utmost freedom, and become commingled.”

Following Darwin, who himself follows Nilsson and Riitimeyer, we find that the two principal fossil species, and those from which all our British cattle probably descend, were :—(1) Bos urus (antiquorum), or Bos primigenius (recentiorum)—a colossal ox, with enormous horns, larger than those of any known domestic race; these, near the roots, were directed outward and somewhat backward, in the middle they were bent forward, and towards the points turned a little upward. They were generally round, the diameter of them varying very slightly in whatever direction taken. The forehead was concave, the edge of the neck straight. (2) Bos longifrons (alias Brachyceros)—the small Celtic short-horned ox. The following description of it is partly taken from Professor Nilsson,* partly from my own observations :—'The forehead, somewhat flat, has a very prominent ridge standing up along the middle, and a smaller indenting backwards; the horns are much flattened and compressed, small, and directed outwardly upwards, and bent in one direction forwards. From the slender make of its bones, its body must rather have resembled that of a deer than our common tame ox; its legs at the extremities are certainly shorter and also thinner than those of a crown deer (full-antlered stag). The skull is long and narrow, even more so than that of a deer. ‘The rest of the

* Paper on “The Extinct and Existing Bovine Animals of Scandinavia,” by Professor Nilsson, of Lund, in Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. ii., Second Series. :

FOSSIL HUROPEAN OXEN. 3 skeleton is much like that of the tame ox, but each bone, in proportion to the length, more slender and thin.

Two other species of fossil European oxen might be mentioned; but of these the most important—Jos Jrontosus of Nilsson, a race larger than Bos longifrons, and regarded as allied to it, though in the opinion of some good judges it is a distinct species—appears to have been little known in Britain, though co-existing in Scania with its allied variety. The other, Bos trochoceros, is now considered by Riitimeyer to be the female of an early domesticated form of Bos primgenius, and as the progenitor of the frontosus race. Specific names have also been given to four others, which are now believed to be identical with Bos primigenius.