OXEN. !6i 



usually situated in the immediate neighbourhood of, or actually upon, the summit of 



the skull, whence they generally sweep in a more or less outward direction, and then 



curve upwards, and sometimes inwards, at their extremities. They are never 



spirally twisted, or ornamented with prominent transverse knots or wrinkles. If 



the horn-cores be cut through, they will be found to be completely honeycombed 



by a number of irregular cavities of large size. The upper molar teeth are very 



tall and broad, and are provided with an additional column on the inner side, as 



shown in the figure of the tooth of the nilgai on p. 155. 



With the exception of the American bison, the whole of the 

 Distribution. . . 



existing species of oxen are confined to the Old World, where by far 



the greater -number of species are continental. There is, however, one species, of 



smaller size than any of the rest, confined to the island of Celebes ; and another 



which may, however, have been introduced, in the Philippines. Domesticated races 



are spread over nearly all the globe. The wild species inhabit either open grassy 



plains or dense forest, while one of them is confined to the higher regions of the 



Himalaya and Tibet. All of them live in herds of larger or smaller size, which are 



protected by the bulls ; the number of individuals in these herds being in some 



cases reckoned by thousands, only the old bulls becoming solitary in their 



habits. 



All cattle can swim readily, and some species will cross rivers of 



considerable breadth without the slightest hesitation. They are 



remarkable for their strength and endurance ; and as beasts of draught oxen are 



superior to horses for dragging heavy vehicles through soft and yielding ground. 



The usual pace of these animals is a walk, but when excited they break into a 



heavy and awkward gallop. Their senses of smell and hearing are acute, but their 



sight does not appear to be particularly keen. Their food may consist either of 



leaves and the tender shoots of trees, grass, mosses, or various kinds of marsh and 



water-plants ; and all the species display a marked partiality for salt. 



Usually but one calf is produced at a birth, but there may be occasionally two. 



As is the case with other Ruminants, the calf is born in a highly-developed state, 



and is soon able to run by the side of its parent. 



. . In most of their structural peculiarities the oxen appear to be 



• Specialisation. . •tii.hi 



among the most highly specialised of all the hollow-horned Rumi- 

 nants ; and this is confirmed by the lateness of their appearance in the geological 

 series, the group being quite unknown before the Pliocene period, and attaining its 

 maximum development in the Pleistocene and present epochs. Probably the origin 

 of the group may be traced to Ruminants more or less closely allied to the antelopes ; 

 and it is noteworthy that in some of the extinct species horns were present only in 

 the male sex. 



The Aurochs and Domestic Oxen (Bos taurus). 



The aurochs, or ancient wild ox of Europe, although now quite extinct as a 

 wild species, is doubtless still represented by the half -wild cattle of some of the 

 British parks ; although the confined areas in which they live have caused them to 

 degenerate sadly in size from their wild ancestors. Moreover, although there may 



VOL. II. — II 



