WHITE CATTLE : AN INQUIRY INTO THEIR ORIGIN, ETC. 243 



furnishes the bulls for tlie combats of the amphitheatre, which 

 still, from time to time, are exhibited at Nimes and Tarascon."i 



Plmy iDoints out, perhaps, the special feature of the Bos ■ 

 priinigenius when he 

 speaks of iheir terrible 

 horns. For example, the 

 extreme length of the 

 horn cores, includins: 

 occipital ridge, of one of 

 the British Museum speci- 

 mens is 78 inches. Urus 

 remains are, however, not 

 common in Great Britain, 

 and have been most 

 commonly found in the 

 fenlands of East Anjjlia. 

 Their remains are charac- 

 teristic of the Neolithic 

 age, or newer stone age, 

 that of polished stone 

 implements. Hensel, in 

 " Z)er Zoologische Garten, 

 Frankfurt;' for 1876, 

 discusses the Thur, or 

 Bos 2^rimigenius, referred 

 to bv Caesar and manv 

 others under various 

 names, and comes to the conclusion that there is no evidence of 

 its having been a really wild species. So that if our white cattle 

 were even descended from the Urus, thev could not be called wild. 



liLr. i-i. — iiimiiaiid Kvlue^. 



^ In France there are many domesticated races which are white, or 

 practically white. The Charolais cattle have big horns, and are entirely 

 milk or creamy white. The Limousin breed are white or straw-yellow in 

 colour, but absolutely uniform. The Race Garonnaise are of the colour of 

 ripe corn, and the cattle of Parthenay are of the same colour, but have 

 black legs and muzzles, and medium tapering horns. This latter breed is 

 regarded in France as a pure one. According to Dr. Georges Pennetier 

 there are 5 races " lauve on blaireau," 11 races '"' bai clair ou froment av^ec 

 nuance tres claire autour du muaeau et des yeux ainsi quaux extremites," 

 and 4 races " blanc. cafe au lait et jaune clair.'' 



