OF THE CLASS MAMMALIA. 271 



The genus ox differs from other ruminants by the form of 

 the body and the direction of the horns. 



The principal species are the common ox ; the aurochs, 

 originally both European ; the buffalo, the yack, peculiar to 

 Asia ; the bison and the musk ox, peculiar to Northern Ame- 

 rica. 



The common ox, when young, is called a calf, the male a 

 bull, the female a cow; its forehead is flat, longer than 

 broad ; the horns are rounded, and project from the extremities 

 of the prominent line separating the frontal from the occipital 

 bone. There exists scarcely an animal so useful to man as the 

 ox : on this we need not dwell. The flesh is excellent ; he 

 can be made to labour like a horse ; the bones, skin, horns, 

 hair, all are of use. The fat is fine and delicate, and the 

 blood is used as a fertilizer, and also in the manufacture of 

 Prussian blue ; it is in use moreover as a refiner of sugar and 

 fish oil. The intestinal membrane is employed in the arts of 

 the gold-beater and to cover air balloons. From the milk of the 

 cow we obtain butter, cheese, and cream ; with the stomach 

 called rennet we curdle milk-. The ox is now found in every 

 part of the world, but no doubt it belonged originally to 

 Europe and Asia. 



The aurochs is the largest of European quadrupeds. It is 

 distinguished from the domestic ox by its convex forehead, 

 broader than long ; by the point of attachment of the horns, 

 lower than the occipital crest ; by a kind of woolly hair cover- 

 ing the head and neck of the male ; by a short beard under 

 the throat ; and, finally, by having an additional pair of ribs. 

 It is not the origin of our domestic cattle. Formerly abound- 

 ing all over Europe, the race is nearly extinct, being confined 

 to the marshy forests of Lithuania, of the Krapacks, and the 

 Caucasus. 



The buffalo, of Indian origin, but now naturalized in Italy 

 and Greece, has the horns marked anteriorly by a longitudinal 

 crest. The buffalo is less docile than the ox, but he is 

 stronger and easier supported. He swims well (as does the 

 ox), and likes to wallow in muddy waters ; and he will dive 

 ten or twelve feet, tearing up with his horns aquatic plants, 

 which he eats whilst swimming. 



The yack, also called the buffalo with a horse's tail, the 

 grunting cow of Tartary, is a small species originally from 

 Thibet. It has a long mane, and a tail with long hairs like 

 the horse. It is with this tail that the standards are made 



