Domesticated Breeds 15 



probably during the Plistocene epoch, but perhaps surviving into the 

 early historic period. 



c. Domesticated Breeds — Bos taurus tvpicus 



Urus scoticits, H. Smith, in Griffith's Animal Kingdom^ vol. iv. p. 417 

 (1827). 



Bos scoticus^ Swainson, Classif. Quadrupeds^ p. 285 (1835). 



Bos /rmgif rolls, Ov^tn, Rep. Brit. Assoc, for 1843, P- 234 (1844). 



Bos frontosus, Nilsson, Aim. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. iv. p. 349 



(1849). 



Bos taurus., var. scoticus. Bell and Alston, Brit. Quadrupeds, p. 368 (1874). 



Bos taurus, var. longifroiis, Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Maniiii. Brit. Mus. pt. ii. 

 p. 16 (1885). 



The domesticated breeds ot cattle form, as already mentioned, not only 

 the type ot the species Bos taurus, but likewise of the genus Bos itself, and 

 therefore ot the family Bovidee. Although, as implied by its title, the 

 present volume does not profess to treat of domesticated animals, a few 

 words are advisable in this place on account of the widely spread idea that 

 the halt-wild cattle of Chillingham and some other British parks are 

 aboriginally wild animals. This, however, may be confidently stated to be 

 an erroneous idea ; and although they may have existed in their present 

 condition for a very long period, it is practically certain they are descended 

 from a domesticated or semi-domesticated breed, possibly not very distantly 

 removed from the wild aurochs. Consequently, they have no right to the 

 specific name scoticus, which has been given them. The same remark 

 applies to the names loiigifroiis and frontosus, which have been applied to 

 a small breed from the peat of the fens and other superficial deposits 

 commonly known as the Celtic short-horn, and which undoubtedly appears 

 to have been a domestic animal. 



