100 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



latest phase of the Palaeolithic and the most flourishing of 

 the Neolithic civilisation, horses became greatly diminished 

 in number throughout Europe ; and it is now almost impos- 

 sible to determine whether the few horse remains recorded 

 during that period belonged to a domestic or wild breed. In 

 these circumstances, the following general statements can 

 only be regarded as tentative and problematical. 



1. At least two species of Equidte were contemporary with 

 man during the Palaeolithic period in Western Europe, and 

 formed a considerable portion of his aliment ; but whether 

 these horses were latterly in a state of domestication is a 

 controverted problem. In face of the evidence now advanced 

 by MM. Capitan and Breuil in favour of the domestication 

 theory, it may be advantageous to recall M. Steenstrup's 

 opinion on the origin of the domestic animals. After exam- 

 ing the osseous remains of the ox, goat, and pig found in the 

 Belgian caverns associated with those of the mammoth and 

 reindeer, the Danish savant maintained that they presented 

 no special osteological characters by which they could be 

 differentiated from those of the corresponding domestic 

 animals of Neolithic times. Hence he argued that either 

 the domestication of these animals must be relegated back 

 to the Palaeolithic period, or the Palaeolithic period must be 

 much more recent than is generally supposed ("Congres 

 International, etc.," 1872, p. 212 et seq.). In connection 

 with this point, it may be observed (see Table, p. 114) that 

 the small species of ox and the wild pig became prominent 

 among the European fauna only towards the close of the 

 Palaeolithic period (Eeindeer period of Dupont), and that the 

 sheep, which is probably of Eastern origin, scarcely appears 

 among deposits of human food refuse till the most flourish- 

 ing stage of the Neolithic civilisation. 



2. When dealing with the problem of the domestication of 

 animals, based on the archaeological materials collected during 

 the Swiss lake-dwelling researches, I thus expressed my 

 views : — " That continued attention was paid to the rearing 

 and breeding of domesticated animals during the Bronze Age 

 is attested by their osseous remains, which have been critic- 

 ally examined by such competent authorities as Rutimeyer, 



