14 CLU ADRUPEDS* 



At three years old, the cow fheds its horns, and new ones arife,- 

 which are permanent ; at four years of age^ the cow has fmall pointed 

 neat fmooth horns, thickeft near the head j at five they become 

 larger, and are marked round with the former year's growth ; and 

 every year produces a new ring at the root ; fo that allowing three 

 years before their appearance, and adding the number of rings, we 

 have the animal's age. Some cows have horns, others have none j 

 this feems a kind of caprice of nature, for which we can aflign no 

 rcafon. 



Of all quadrupeds, the cow feems mod liable to alteration from 

 its pafture. In our own country, we perceive great varieties, pro-^ 

 duced by the variation of foil* In fome they grow very large ; in 

 others, they are very diminutive. The breed of the Ifle of Man> 

 and moft parts of Scotland, is much lefs than that of England or 

 Ireland. 



The cow kind is found in moft parts of the world, large or fmall 

 in proportion to the richnefs of the pafture. Africa is remarkable 

 for the largeft and the fmalleft cattle of this kind ; as is India, 

 alfo, Poland, Switzerland, and feveral other parts of Europe. Among 

 the Eiuth Tartars, where the paftures are remarkably rich, the cow be- 

 comes fo large, that he muft be a tall man who can reach the tip of 

 its fhoulder. Almoft every where the cow is found in fome of its 

 varieties ; large, like the urus, or humped as the bifon ; with ftrait 

 horns, or bending, inverted backwards, or turning fideways to the 

 cheek, like thofe of the ram 3 and, in many countries, without horns, 

 as in Iceland. The cattle of the Ukraine, where the pafture is excel- 

 lent, become very fat, and are confidered as one of the largeft breeds 

 of Europe. In Switzerland, among the mountains, are large; in 

 France fmall j very fmall in Barbary, The famous bulls of Spain are 

 by no means comparable to our own ; nor is a Spanifti bull fight 

 worthy the applaufe beftowed on it by their writers, requiring no great 

 bravery, and little more addrefs, than to take advantage of the bull's 

 mlftaking the cloak for th6 cavalier, and of his ftiutting his eyes (as 

 this animal is faid to do) before he ftrikes with his horns. 



But the differences in fize of this animal are not fo remarkable as 

 thofe of its form, its hair, and its horns. Thcfe are fo very extraor- 

 dinary, that rhey have been confidered as conftituting different crea- 

 tures, and names have diftinguiflied what in reality is the fame. The 

 urus and the bifon have been regarded, from the variety in their make, 

 § as 



