CHILLINGHAM CATTLE 



321 



it and some other species. Africa has at least two Buffaloes. We 

 may finally mention the Wild Ox of Europe, B. pritnigenius, the 

 supposed progenitor of our domestic cattle, believed to be still 

 surviving in the herds at Chillingham, Chartley, and elsewhere. 

 This animal is sometimes called the Aurochs. The Romans spoke 

 of it as the Urus, and it appears to have formerly attained to 

 more gigantic proportions than at present. It is the small size 

 of the present race that is the chief objection to tracing them 

 back to the large Oxen existing near London in 1174, and found 

 sub-fossil in the Cambridgeshire fens. 



Of the true sheep, genus Oms, there are a considerable number 



FIG. 170. Punjab Wild Sheep. Ovis vignei. 



of species. The Sheep are to be distinguished from the Goats by 

 their rather stouter build and by the absence of the beard in the 

 male. The horns are developed in both sexes, and are usually 

 twisted and often of large size. 



The Sheep are almost entirely Palaearctic and Nearctic. They 

 only just get into the Oriental region. One of the finest species 

 is the great Pamir Sheep, 0. poli, whose length reaches 6 feet 



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