254 Description of the Menagerie 
The shape or contours are rugged, and not soft or round likd 
those of the domestic ox, and all its limbs strongly indicate im 
some measure its savage nature and great strength. The thick 
and woolly mane which covers all the anterior part of the bedy 
of the aurochs, and the thick beard which hangs below its chin, 
give it a wild air, which the intenseness of its stare and its 
sombre and grave countenance render still more striking. 
The head of the azurochs is very broad, nay, even almost 
square. In its greatest breadth it measures eleven inches five 
lines, while its greatest length is 18 inches. If we-compare the 
breadth of the head of our domestic oxen with that of the 
aurochs, we find that they are nearly as 3 to 4. The forehead 
ef the aurochs if also broader than it is high, and it is full and 
swoln, but less so than that of the luffalo. 
This last character is even particular enough to enable us 
easily to distinguish this species from that of cur domestic oxen, 
which have their forehead flat and a little concave. This dis- 
position of the forehead with that of the horns separates those 
‘two species: thus the horns of the avrochs are net placed on 
the same level with the upper line of the forehead, but rather 
below, so that they form with the line of the for ehead an acuté 
angle. The horns of the common ox are on the contrary more 
elevated than the line of the forehead, so that they form with 
it an-almost obtuse angle. As to the plan of the occiput, it is 
qvedrangular in the domestic ox, while it is semicircular in 
the awrochs. 
The salient angle of the interorbitary arcade forms in the au- 
mochs a marked prominence of two inches, which is very con- 
siderable. The anterior of the head of the wrus, the part where 
the nostrils are placed, is singularly flat and square in this 
species. This flatness is not found in any other species, and’ 
seems to be a character peculiarly inherent to the latter. The 
nostrils of the aurochs have this particularity, that they form? 
almost a perfect circle ; whereas those of the buffalo and do-' 
mestic ox are decidedly oval. As to the black skin of the nostrils,’ 
it is thick and solid, and forms a thick flap. 
The head of the awrochs is very hairy, and it is particularly 
under the chin that it presents a thick ‘and oceasionally a long 
beard. The ears of this species of ox are short, hairy, and 
placed behind above the horns. As to the horns, as their di-* 
rection is subject to vary, and as the same individual presents» 
them sometimes in opposite directions, we shall not stop to de= 
seribe them. We shall content ourselves with observing here 
that this direction is never from front to back,.as in the buffalo 
or instance ; besides, in this species they are thick and broad, 
but 
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