200 MAMMALIA. 



Spain, which have a fine curly fleece, with large spiral horns on 

 the male, now beginning to be diffused throughout Europe, and 

 that of England, whose wool is fine and long. 



The most common variety in southern Russia has a very long 

 tail. Those of India and of Guinea, which also have long tails, 

 are distinguished by their long legs, very convex foreheads, 

 pendent ears, want of horns, and short hair. 



The north of Europe and of Asia has almost every where a 

 breed of small Sheep with a very short tail. In the race of Per- 

 sia, Tartary, and China, the tail is transformed into a double 

 globe of fat ; in that of Syria and Barbary it is long, but loaded 

 with an immense mass of the same substance. In both the ears 

 are pendent, the horns of the males large, those of the females 

 moderate, and the wool is mixed with hair. 



Sheep are valuable for their flesh, suet, milk, skin, and wool; 

 well managed flocks are every where the sources of wealth. 

 Lambs are weaned at two months, and shed their milk teeth 

 between the first and third year. The period of gestation is 

 five months, and two lambs are produced at a birth. 



BoSj Lin. 



The horns of the Ox are directed laterally, inclining upwards or 

 forwards, in the form of a crescent; it is a large animal, with a broad 

 muzzle, short and thick body, and stout legs. 



B. taurus, L.; Buff. IV, xvi. (The Common Ox.) Its spe- 

 cific characters are a flat forehead, longer than broad, and round 

 horns, placed at the extremities of the salient line or ridge 

 which separates the forehead from the occiput. In the fossil 

 crania, which appear to have belonged to this species in a wild 

 state, (the Urus of the ancients) the horns curve forwards and 

 downwards; but in the numberless domestic varieties, they 

 have very different directions, and are of as many sizes some- 

 times they are even totally wanting. The common races of 

 the torrid zone have, all, a lump of fat upon the shoulders, and 

 some of them are not larger than the Hog. The utility of these 

 animals for labour, and the value of their flesh, fat, milk, hide, 

 and horns are known to every one. The period of gestation is 

 nine months. 



B. vrus, Gm.; Urus or Bison of the ancients; Zubr of the 

 Polanders; Gesn. CLVII. (The Aurochs.) Generally, but 

 erroneously, considered as the wild stock of our horned cattle. 

 It is distinguished from them by its convex forehead, which is 

 wider than it is high, by the insertion of its horns below the 

 occipital crest, by the length of its legs, by an additional pair 



