THE MUSK OX 797 



angular horns, in the short and sparse hair of the adult, in the large and naked muz- 

 zle, and the barrel-like form of its body. It likewise resembles those animals in its 

 bovine smell, its fondness for water and shade, and its habit of drinking by long 

 draughts instead of by short gulps. On the other hand, the anoa approximates to 

 the antelopes in its slender build, the structure of the hinder part of its skull, the 

 upright direction and straightness of its horns, the spots on the head, body, and 

 limbs, and its small size. In connection with the aforesaid fossil species from the 

 Siwalik hills, the anoa clearly indicates a close connection between the antelopes 

 and the buffaloes; and from these primitive antelope-like buffaloes the other more 

 specialized groups of oxen may have been developed. 



THE MUSK Ox 

 Genus Ovibos 



In the desolate regions of the far north of the Western Hemisphere, where even 

 in summer the surface of the ground scarcely thaws, is found the curious musk ox 

 ( Ovibos moschatiis} , which although presenting a certain superficial resemblance to 

 the oxen, is in reality far more nearly allied to the sheep. It derives its name from 

 the peculiar musky flavor with which the flesh is tainted, and it forms the single 

 living representative of a distinct genus. 



The musk ox is about two-thirds the size of the American bison, but from its 

 long coat of hair looks larger than it really is. In appearance the animal has been 

 compared to a large hairy ram; and it resembles the sheep in the marked convexity 

 of the profile of the face and the hairy muzzle. The head is broad, with the small 

 and pointed ears almost concealed by the hair; the latter being long and thick, and 

 generally of a dark brown color, although paler in the s'pring. Though matted and 

 curling on the back, the hair on the throat and flanks is straight and reaches down 

 to the middle of the legs; it also entirely hides the very short tail. Beneath the hair 

 is a coat of soft fine wool, of a light brown color. The most striking peculiarity of 

 the animal is, however, to be found in its horns. In the bulls the horns have very 

 wide and flattened bases, covering a large portion of the forehead, and meeting one 

 another in the middle line; at first they curve sharply downward, becoming at the 

 same time gradually narrower and less expanded, and then curving sharply upward 

 and forward, terminating in front of the eyes. The bases of the horns are very 

 rough, and of a yellowish-white color, but they gradually become less rough, and at 

 the same time darker, till at the tips, where their section is cylindrical, they are 

 smooth and black. In the young rams and the cows the horns are much smaller, 

 and separated from one another by a considerable interval in the middle line. The 

 limbs are short and massive; and the feet are peculiar in that while the outer hoof of 

 each is rounded the inner one is pointed; there is a considerable growth of hair be- 

 tween the hoofs, which aids the animal in obtaining a sure foothold on the ice. The 

 molar teeth of the musk ox are like those of the sheep, and thus quite different from 

 those of the oxen. Average-sized horns are about twenty-four or twenty-five inches 

 in length, but they may reach twenty-seven and one-fourth inches. 



