transported from the old to the new Continent. 273 



places, they could not dispense with the assistance of man. 

 This arose from the circumstance that a certain quantity of 

 salt in their food was absolutely necessary for them ; and if 

 they did not find it in the plants, the waters, or in certain 

 soils of a saltish taste, common to many parts of America, 

 they required to be supplied with it directly, failing which 

 they became lean, and the herd quickly perished. If it be 

 neglected to bring the cattle together, from time to time, and 

 the requisite salts be supplied by the country, they become 

 entirely wild in a few years, which the writer knew to happen 

 in two instances. He never had an opportunity of seeing a 

 wild specimen alive, but he eat of the flesh of a cow that had 

 only been killed one day, and perceived no difference between 

 it and the domestic cow. The skin was remarkably thick, but 

 of the ordinary size, and the hair long, thick, and ill laid. 

 He has seen the wild bulls that pass the morning in the 

 woods which cover the foot of the Cordillera, and the after- 

 noons in the Savanna, feeding in the ilanos amongst the do- 

 mestic cattle, but, the moment they perceived a man, they 

 gallopped off into the woods. Cattle with hair extremely thin 

 and fine, are met with in the warmest parts of the province of 

 Mariguita and Negla, and are called pelones. That variety 

 is reproduced by generation, but the people are not desirous 

 of propagating it- In the same places, there are also fre- 

 quently produced, individuals named calungos, whose skin is 

 entirely naked, like that of the Turkish dogs. These animals 

 being weaker and more delicate, it is usual to kill them be- 

 fore they are capable of propagating. The cows of America 

 will not give milk without they have their calves, which must 

 be left all day with them, and allowed to suck as they please. 

 They are only separated in the evening, that the milk which 

 collects through the night may be procured. If the calves 

 die, the milk immediately ceases to be secreted. 



The ass, in the provinces in which Dr. Roulin had an op- 

 portunity of observing it, appeared to have undergone scarce- 

 ly any alteration in its forms or habits. From hardships and 

 deprivations, it is of small size, and covered with a very long 

 and ill-combed pile. Deformities are frequent, not only in 

 the adults, which are too soon put to labour, but even in the 

 young at the moment of birth. In the lower and warmer 

 parts, it is better fed, and larger, and its hair shorter and 

 smoother. In none of the provinces which he visited, had the 

 ass returned to the wild state. 



The case is different with the horse. There are wild horses 

 in several parts of Columbia ; and the author saw small herds 

 in the plains of St. Martin, between the sources of the Meta, 

 Rio-Negro, and the Umadea ; and he observed, that when- 

 ever they perceived a man they never stopped till out of 



Mm 



