THE BO VINES 347 



all these ages, no doubt, it has slightly differentiated, and has 

 gone on fitting itself more and more for life in a climate of 

 rigorous cold. At the present day its range is limited to a small 

 portion of North America eastwards of the Mackenzie River, 

 and north of the 6oth degree of latitude. From here it extends 

 over a good deal of Greenland, especially along the east coast, 

 from regions close to the Pole to almost the southern extremity 

 of that huge continental island. The musk ox formerly, and not 

 very long ago, existed in Alaska. The discovery of its remains 

 in that extreme north-western part of America was an interesting 

 point, as it showed that in all probability Ovibos reached North 

 America from Asia rather than from Northern Europe ; and this 

 probability is increased by the fact that no remains of it have ever 

 been discovered in Spitzbergen or Franz-Josef Land. But the 

 ancient distribution of the musk ox in North America extended 

 much farther south than Alaska and Canada — almost, if not quite, 

 to the Gulf of Mexico — an additional proof that the genus could 

 adapt itself to a warm climate ; possibly, in fact, preferred a warm 

 climate to a cold. In Temperate North America the musk 

 ox was represented by perhaps two other species, one with a 

 bulging forehead (called Ovibos bombifrons)^ and the other with 

 a cavity or depression below the frontal bone {Ovibos cavifrons). 

 But Mr. Lydekker, perhaps wisely, attempts to show that 

 the cavifront specimen is due to injuries inflicted on the skull, 

 and that Ovibos bombifrons is the only valid species of musk 

 ox coming from Temperate America which differs from O. 

 rnoschatus. 



The illustration of the musk ox which, together with the 

 saiga, faces p. 342 is of peculiar interest. It is a photograph 

 by the Duchess of Bedford of the only living musk ox which 

 has been in Britain since the early part of the Pleistocene period. 

 At one time it was supposed that it would be impossible for a 

 musk ox to live in this temperate climate, but the specimen 

 referred to has now been for some years in the Duke of Bedford's 

 collection at Woburn Abbey. 



