White. — A Philological Study. 143 



per stone being the top price. Store beasts sold rather better 

 in proportion. Small supply of mutton, and trade hardly so 

 good. From 6d. to 8d. per pound was realised. Good trade 

 for pork, which was in demand at 6s. to 7s. per stone, accord- 

 ing to quality." 



In prehistoric times, and even down to the date of Julius 

 Caasar's conquest of Gaul, there existed in Europe two species 

 or varieties of the ox, living in a wild state in the extensive 

 forests, named Bos primigtnus and Bos longifrons, and their 

 fossil remains are even found in Britain. The B. primigenus 

 is considered by most naturalists to be the progenitor of the 

 larger breeds of domestic oxen, and it is generally considered 

 to be the great beast ur, mentioned by Cassar in the history of 

 his wars. Caesar thus describes them : " These ivri are little 

 inferior to elephants in size, but are bulls in their nature, 

 colour, and figure. Great is their strength and great their 

 swiftness ; nor do they spare man or beast when they have 

 caught sight of them. These when trapped in pitfalls the 

 hunters diligently kill. The youths, exercising themselves in 

 this sort of hunting, are hardened by the toil, and those 

 among them who have killed most, bringing with them the 

 horns as testimony, acquire great praise. But these uri 

 cannot be habituated to man or made tractable, not even 

 when young. The great size of the horns, as well as the 

 form and quality of them, differs much from the horns of 

 our oxen. These horns, when carefully selected, they ring 

 round the edges with silver, and use them for drinking-cups 

 at their ample feasts." 



In speaking of the untamable disposition of the young 

 of the ur, it seems probable that the character and well- 

 known disposition of another ally of the Bovidce is con- 

 fused with it — namely, the European bison, which is known 

 in Germany as the aur-ochs, or aucr-ochs, the latter of the 

 two names appearing the more correct form, as meaning 

 tf the moorland-ox, the ox of the uninhabited or uncultivated 

 land." This animal is still preserved by Boyal edict in Lithu- 

 ania, and is also found among the hills and valleys of the 

 Caucasus. It is there called zubr, a name which, curiously 

 enough, contains the letters ur. This name ur is assumed by 

 rnany to be the German prefix ur, ancient, or original ; but if 

 that were so it would seem necessary to use the suffix " ochs," 

 and so get primeval or ancestral ox. But my German diction- 

 ary also gives ur as the ure-ox (masculine) without the suffix 

 ochs. So the Germans seemingly have two separate names 

 for the bison, and that of ur for Bos yrimigenus. Now, 

 ure is French, and is translated as the ure-ox, the uru& (also of 

 male gender). The German ur as a prefix gives ui aim, great- 

 grandfather ; ur-alt, very ancient, primeval; ur-all, the 



