RUMINANTIA. 293 



Sub-genus TAURUS, with horns attached to the 

 sides of the summit of the frontal crest, and the 

 forehead plane or slightly concave. 



To this group belong the skulls of some enor- 

 mously large fossil oxen, and, probably, also the 

 more recent Urus or Wizend of the Germans, 

 from which it is supposed strait backed cattle are 

 descended. This domesticated species must have 

 existed in its present perfection, at least these tnree 

 thousand years, since most beautiful and correct 

 representations of it are abundant on the oldest 

 sculptured monuments of Egypt. The cream colour- 

 ed Bush Cow of Western Africa, shaped like the 

 white variety or Scottish wild bull, but with blue 

 eyes, and a long mane of white hair on the shoulder, 

 and a long succentorial hoof on each foot, may be 

 the species noticed by Pliny, but more likely is a 

 feral race long independent : it might be denomi- 

 nated B. taurus Libyciis. 



"We take a second species to be the Bos Tndicus 

 or Sacer, the Hunched Ox of India and Egypt, 

 equally figured on the monuments of Egypt of the 

 earliest date, and divided into many races and breeds, 

 but, we believe, always born with teeth protruded 

 through the gums. Both these taurine species in- 

 termix freely, and continue a prolific breed with the 

 Gayal, the Banting, and the Yak. 



For details we refer to Vol. XVIII., as already 

 stated. 



