THEORY OF THE EARTH. 



has well described the Bos grunniens 

 or Yak, under the name of the ox having a tail 

 which serves for a fly-flapper *. 



The Buffalo was not domesticated hy the an- 

 cients ; but the Indian Ox, of which Julian 

 speaks f , and which had horns large enough to 

 hold three amphorae, was assuredly that variety 

 of the buffalo which is now called the arnee. 

 And even the wild ox with depressed horns, 

 which is mentioned by Aristotle as inhabiting 

 Arachosia, a province of ancient Persia, could be 

 nothing else than the common buffalo J. 



The ancients were acquainted with the horn- 

 less variety of the ox 5, and with the African 

 oxen, whose horns, being only attached to the 

 skin, moved with it[|. They also knew the In- 

 dian oxen, which equalled the horse in speed ^f ; 

 and those which were so small as not to exceed a 

 he-goat in size**. Nor were the broad- tailed 

 sheep unknown to them f f , nor those of India, 

 which were said to be as large as asses J J. 



Although the accounts left us by the ancients, 



* ./Elian, Anim. xv. 14. 



t Idem, Anim. iii. 34. 



J Arist. Hist. Anim. lib. ii. cap. 5. 



jElian, ii. 53. || Idem, ii, 20. 



IT Idem, xv. 24. ** Idem, xv. 24. 



ft Idem, Anim. iii. 3. JJ Idem, iv. 32. 



