762 
out that when ova were discharged 
by the nautilus there must have 
remained the empty membrane, 
which being attached to the base 
could not but contract into a tube 
smaller or larger according to its 
tenuity or vascularity. The fine 
siphuncle of the nautilus would in- 
dicate a single highly contractile 
membrane ; the large siphuncle of 
Actinoceras may indicate two or 
Notes and Correspondence. 
[ Oct. 
three membranes contracting differ- 
ently. 
And the conclusion from these 
considerations is that the chief 
fossil genera of cephalopods are 
based on slight modifications of the 
reproductive apparatus, which have 
produced, in their many beautiful 
and complex variations, the septa 
siphuncles of the Nautilus and its 
allies, 
Harry SEELEY, F.GS. 
On the Existence of the Reindeer and Aurochs in France during the Historic 
Period. 
In some remarks upon flints and 
carved bones and horns found in 
the grottos of Périgord, in the 
number of ‘The Quarterly Journal 
of Science’ for July, p. 579, these 
implements are stated to prove 
the existence of the reindeer in 
the centre of France in prehistoric 
times, and from the carving on 
them to give the impression that 
aurochs also existed then in the 
same country. Your correspondent 
does not seem to be aware that both 
these animals existed in historic 
times ; that Cesar describes an ani- 
mal which has been taken by scho- 
lars to represent the reindeer, and 
that he mentions the aurochs * 
(urus) by name. The description of 
Cesar certainly shows that he had 
never seen these animals, but that he 
had gathered his information from 
others; in fact he brings forward 
this description in a part of his 
work in which he contrasts what 
he has heard of the different nations 
of the Gauls and Germans. I can- 
not think, however, that this en- 
tirely invalidates his testimony, as 
he appears to have seen the horns 
and heard of the hunting exploits 
of the young Gauls of his day. 
Thinking your readers may be in- 
terested in Ceesar’s own description, 
I annex a translation of the two 
chapters alluded to, ‘De Bello Gal- 
lico,’ lib. vi. cc. 26, 28. 
* German Auer-ochs, heath or wild 
ox. 
By the Rev. C. W. Kett, M.A. 
“There is an ox (bos) with the form 
of a stag, and from the middle of 
its forehead between the ears cne 
horn stands up, higher and straighter 
than those horns which are known 
to us. From the end of it branches 
like palms (palme) spread out very 
widely. The male and female are 
alike, and the shape and size of 
their horns the same.”—Casar : De 
Bell. Gall. lib. vi. c. 26. 
“The third isa kind of them which 
are called aurochs (wri). These are 
of a size little less than elephants ; 
in appearance, colour, and form 
they are bulls (¢auri). Their 
strength is great and so is their 
pace, and, when they have seen 
them, they spare neither man nor 
beast. A good deal of trouble is 
taken to catch and kill these in 
pitfalls. In this work the young 
men harden themselves, and they 
exercise themselves in this kind of 
hunting, and those who kill most 
of them bring their horns as a pub- 
lic testimony, and in this way ob- 
tain much honour. Even if they 
catch them very young, they can- 
not accustom them to man or make 
them toward. The size, form, and 
appearance of their horns differ a 
good deal from our oxen. They are 
very careful to tip the lips with 
silver, and then they use them at 
their grand feasts.”—Cas.: De Bell. 
Gall. lib. vi. c. 28. 
The word 60s, here translated 
* ox,”’ is used of all kinds of horned 
