External Characters of Ruminant Artiodactyla. 107 



justification have we for assuming that the comparatively 

 slight (litVtneiices hetwcen the skull.s of European cattle and 

 liiimped cattle indicate initial specific didtinctiiess belweeri 

 these two? Obviously very little. 



The unsatisfactory nature of the evidence supplied by 

 skulls and horns, is attested by the variety of opinions held 

 by authors who have attoinpted to solve the difliculL (question 

 of the origins of domesticated breeds of cattle, by relying 

 largely on churactera fumished by the cranium and its 

 appentiages. 



Dewlap. — The dewlap in zobus is often heavier and deeper 

 and sometinies rises nearer the chin * than in European 

 cattle believed to be of unmixed aurochs desceut. I cannot 

 satisfy myself as to the precise value attached to this feature 

 by Lydekker. lie quotes it as characteristic of zebu, when 

 contrasting them with the European breeds of the aforesaid 

 type, and more than once cites it as evidence of zebu blood in 

 tiiose Euro|)ean breeds that reproduce the character. But a 

 precisely similar difference in the development of the dewlap 

 exis^ts between the Joniesticated gayal and the wild gaur ; yet 

 in this case (pp. 149 & 177) Lydekker uses this difference to 

 support the view that the gayal is nothing but a domesticated 

 race of the gaur, and ascribes the larger size of the dewlap in 

 the former to the effect of domestication, adding "the exces- 

 sive develojiment of the dewlap in the humped cattle of 

 India is perhaps also the result of domestication." I quite 

 agree witii this view, but it clearly disposes of the claim that 

 the larger size of the dewlap in zebus is evidence of their 

 specific distinctness from pure-bred European cattle. 



Ears. — Blyth stated that the ears oH H. indicus differ from 

 tliose of B. tu'irus in siiape, being more pointed. In a 

 general way this is perhaps true; but no zebu that I have 

 seen has ears approaching in apical attenuation those of the 

 Hungarian cow depicted by Lydekker on pi. xv. Even 

 amongst zebus themselves the ears differ so mucli in siz^; and 

 shape, as may be seen by comparing those of the Gujrati and 

 Mysore breeds (pi. xvii.), that no reliance can be placed on 

 these organs as evidence of specific distinctness between 

 zebus ami normal European cattle. 



Croui>. — Although zebus typically have a sl(>|)ing croup, 

 .•!!i.l never, within my experience, a horizontal croup like that 

 of European cattle, nevertheless tlie differences between zebus 



* Many of Lytleklcer'a lipiires illustrating breeds of European cattle 

 show the anterior lobe of the dewlup iu the interramal area behind the 

 chill, as in zebua. 



