2 4 o SOME NE W BOOKS [march 



that the British Park breeds are derived — perhaps with some amount of 

 crossing. 



Such appears to be, very briefly, the author's argument. Putting entirely 

 on one side the question of the particular domestic breed from which the park 

 cattle are descended, we at once proceed to our criticism. This is based on our 

 belief that the author does not know what he means by a species. He says l 

 that "our common cattle, Bos taurus, is no doubt a mixed product of extremely 

 numerous and very diverse factors, developed in widely-separated regions. 

 This animal ivhen wild was probably hunted by man, but, tamed, it has accom- 

 panied him in all his wanderings. Its geological history in Britain, according 

 to Owen, is first a large species of ox, Bos antiquus, followed by a somewhat 

 smaller but still stupendous wild ox, Bos pjrimigenius, succeeded in turn by an 

 aboriginal British ox of much smaller stature with short horns, Bos longifrons." 

 Later on, p. 245, he observes : " Practically we can entirely ignore Bos primi- 

 genius as a factor in the history of early British cattle, especially of white 

 breeds." 



Now the greater part of the above appears to us pure nonsense. What, for 

 instance, does the author mean by saying that our domestic cattle had a very 

 complex origin, and then that it once occurred wild ? Are different species of 

 wild animals in the habit of producing a mixed breed for the special benefit of 

 man, that he may capture and tame it 1 



As a matter of fact, there are only two possible origins for European 

 domestic cattle (as the bison and buffalo may be put aside), namely, the aurochs 

 and the extinct Narbada ox of India. And there is little doubt that the honour 

 of parentage belongs to the former. As to the Celtic shorthorn there is no 

 evidence that it was ever a wild auimal. Moreover, as it is not specifically 

 separable from Bos taurus (typified by the domestic ox of Europe, which is also 

 the type of its genus), and never having been wild, it cannot claim to be termed 

 a sub-species or race. Neither is there any possibility of specifically distin- 

 guishing the Plistocene aurochs from the aurochs of the Middle Ages ; although 

 as this was a true wild animal it is entitled to rank as a sub-species, Bos taurus 

 primigenius. That this Bos taurus primigenius was the proximate ancestor of 

 the Celtic shorthorn, and hence the ultimate ancestor of all European breeds, is, 

 we submit, beyond doubt, unless indeed the aforesaid shorthorn fell from the 

 stars or was separately created ! In place, therefore, of the so-called Bos primi- 

 genius having nothing to do with the origin of domestic cattle, Ave believe it 

 has everything to do therewith. To look to the Indian humped ox as the 

 ancestor of some at least of our domestic breeds does not help matters. 

 Ordinary and humped cattle (although they will readily cross), differ by their 

 form, voice, and habits ; and, although some crossing may possibly have 

 occurred in certain districts, there is not a tittle of evidence in favour of this 

 origin, while there is everything against it. If such were the origin, Bos indicus 

 would, of course, have to be sunk in the earlier title Bos taurus. 



One word more and we have done. On page 222 it is stated that Mr. 

 Lydekker favours the view of the origin of British park cattle from white 

 Roman cattle. Now we have a fairly good acquaintance with the somewhat 

 discursive writings of that gentleman, but have failed to find in any of them bearing 

 his name authority for such a statement. 



DESCENSUS TESTICULORUM. 



Studien fiber Saugethiere. By Dr. Max Weber, Professor of Zoology in 

 the University of Amsterdam. Part II. 8vo, pp. 132, with 4 plates 

 and 58 text figures. Jena: Gustav Fischer, 1898. Price 12 marks. 



This book follows its first part after an interval of ten years, but even that 

 length of time does not seem too great for the preparation of the mass of infor- 



1 The italics are ours. 



