CHAP, viii.] PREHISTORIC MAMMALIA IN BRITAIN, ETC. 261 



by Dr. J. A. Smith to Have been comparatively 

 abundant in Scotland ; and the discovery of its bones in 

 the refuse-heaps at Caithness leave no room for doubt- 

 ing that the animal was used for food by the inhabitants 

 of the neighbouring burghs, or massive circular dwellings. 

 It is comparatively abundant in the peat bogs and 

 marls of Ireland. 



The wild urus is not known in Ireland, the larger 

 skulls of 'oxen, not referable to the Celtic short -horn, 

 belonging to the large domestic breed, which was prob- 

 ably introduced by the Scandinavian invaders between 

 A.D. 500 and 1000. Nor have any remains of beaver 

 or common hare been discovered in any Irish deposit 

 of Prehistoric age. 



The second group of Prehistoric animals consists of 

 the dog, horned sheep, goat, Celtic short-horned ox, and 

 hog, introduced by Neolithic man, and which will be 

 treated in discussing his position as a herdsman. The 

 third group consists of the short-horned ox, the turf-hog, 

 and the goat, which escaped from the servitude of man 

 and reverted to a wild state in the virgin forest, as yet 

 untouched by the axe of the woodman, in the same 

 manner as they have become wild in North America and 

 in Australia. Possibly the horse also may have reverted 

 equally to a wild state, but it may have descended from 

 the wild horses so abundant in Britain in the Pleistocene 

 age. 



LIST OF PRINCIPAL PREHISTORIC MAMMALIA OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



Wild Animals. 



Britain. Ireland. 



Man . . ,x x 



Beaver . . . x 



Hare x 



