o - v ^ ORIGIN OF DOMESTIC CATTLE. 



unquestionably domesticated form of the Bos primigenius 

 have been found in the fossil remains of the lake dwellers 

 of Switzerland. The fossils belong to the Neolithic period, 

 long anterior to historic times. The exact characteristics of 

 the original type is largely a matter of conjecture, but it is 

 certain, from the fossil remains, that the animals were of 

 an enormous size. 



From the original Bos primigenius numerous varieties 

 sprung, and from these (one of which is sometimes classed 

 as a distinct species, the Bos longifrous), many of our domes- 

 tic breeds have sprung. There seems to be good reason to 

 believe that the Bos longifrous was only a stunted domes- 

 ticated form of the Bos primigenius, and hence we are jus- 

 tified in considering the Bos primigenius as the original ances- 

 tor of all our modern breeds. 



Of the precise modifications which took place in the 

 original form, under domestication, we have no authentic 

 records. It is known, however, that the extreme size, and 

 general coarseness of bone and flesh, were reduced probably 

 by artificial selection. The wild white cattle of England are 

 worthy of mention just here, for they are known to be the 

 nearest in structure to the original wild cattle, of any living 

 forms. Several of these herds of wild cattle still exist in 

 England. They have been bred pure for several hundred 

 years, .and as the herds have never been large, the close in- 

 breeding necessarily resulting, has brought about a reduction 

 in size, fineness in bone, and a very serious reduction in the 

 rate of increase. In the essential features of the bony 

 framework, however, they are still the nearest to the orig- 

 inal wild forms of any animals known. Some writers claim 

 that the original Bos primigenius was black and that the 

 wild white cattle of England must be the descendants of 

 animals that were domesticated, or semi-domesticated, for a 

 time. They cite the white color, and the occasional tendency 

 to hornless specimens, in proof of this view, for it is generally 

 believed that a tendency to appear in the polled form could 

 have been established only under domestication. Other 

 authorities claim that the original form was white and that 

 the park cattle (for these wild white cattle are now kept in 

 parks), are the direct descendants of these. It is the exist- 

 ence of this belief which has given rise to much prejudice 

 against white in cattle, for it is believed to be a tendency to 



