THE RELATIONS OF MAMMALS TO MAN 451 



arisen. It has probably developed from animals inhabiting the 

 semiarid plains of central Asia. 



The ass is the favorite beast of burden in Eastern countries. 

 In this country the cross between a female horse and male ass 

 is known as a mule. The common ass of Europe and America 

 is descended, through the early Egyptian domestication, from the 

 African wild ass. 



The oxen of Europe and America were probably derived from 

 the aurochs of Europe. The sacred or humped cattle of India 

 doubtless developed from one of the wild races that still roam the 

 Himalayan foothills. 



Sheep have been domesticated for so many centuries that their 

 ancestors are not known, but there are many wild sheep from 

 which they may have originated. Goats have also been domes- 

 ticated since the earliest times, and their wild relatives are 

 abundant in many parts of the world. 



The domesticated pigs are descended from the European wild 

 boar and the Indian wild boar. 



The common house cat has a complicated ancestral history. 

 Its remote ancestor was probably the Egyptian cat from which 

 the Mediterranean cat, the wildcat, the jungle cat, the steppe 

 cat, and the Indian desert cat are descended. The European 

 and American domesticated cats were derived either from the 

 Egyptian cat or the Mediterranean cat, which soon became 

 crossed with the wildcat. A number of crosses have been made 

 between the various wild and domesticated cats, resulting in 

 a large variety of mixed breeds. 



Game Mammals. The game mammals are those that are 

 pursued and taken by sportsmen. Some of the more important 

 game mammals of North America are the moose, wapiti, deer, 

 bears, mountain lions, foxes, wolves, coyotes, wildcats, and 

 rabbits. Some of these are exceedingly destructive, and cer- 

 tain states pay a bounty for their capture ; others, like the deer, 

 are of considerable value as food, though they may be injurious 

 to farms in thickly populated districts. The various states pro- 



