PECULIARITIES OF THE BRAIN OF THE OX. 158 



with the temporal bone, and contributes to the strength of the 

 part. 



The Temporal bones. — These bones (g, p. 143 and 144,) have no 

 stress upon tliem in cattle ; are small, deep in the tempora i fossa, and 

 destitute of the squamous suture. The most important difference is 

 the form of the superficial cavity which receives the head of the low- 

 er jaw, and which is peculiarly adapted to the lateral grinding mo- 

 tion of rumination. 



The Occipital bone. — This bone is, in the ox, deprived of almost all 

 importance. There is no crest, no tuberosity, and very small con- 

 dyles, for attachment to the neck ; and even its base, although a lit- 

 tle widened, is much curtailed in length. It, however, still contains 

 the great foramen through which the spinal marrow escapes from 

 the skull (i, p. 142, and d and I, p. 144). There are two foramina 

 for the passage of nerves. 



The Sphenoid and Ethmoid bones are of little importance here. 



THE BRAIN. 



All these bones unite to form the cranial cavity in which the 

 brain is contained. It is surrounded by membranes. Comparing the 

 bulk of the two animals, the brain of the ox is not more than one- 

 half the size of that of the horse. The medullary substance which 

 forms the roots of the nerves is as largtj and some of the neiwes, and 

 particularly the olfactory nerve, or thai of smell, are as much de- 

 veloped ; the deficiency is in the cineritious part — that part connect- 

 ed with the intellectual principle. The medullary substance is that 

 by which impressions made by surrounding objects are conveyed to 

 the brain, and received there, and the volitions of the mind transmitted, 

 aid motion given to every part : the cineiitious is that portion where 

 the impressions are received, and registered, and pondered upon, and 

 made the means of intellectual improvement, and from which the 

 mandates of the will proceed. The senses of the ox are as acute as 

 those of the horse ; he sees as clearly, hears as quickly, and has the. 

 sense of smelling in greater perfection ; but he has not half the sa- 

 gacity. He partly has it not, because he does not receive the educa- 

 tion of the iiorse ; but more, because nature, b}' diminishing the bulk 

 of the intellectual portion of the brain, has deprived him of the power 

 of much improvement. Yet the difference is in degree, and not in 

 kind. He possesses sufficient intellect to qualify him for the situa- 

 tion in which nature has placed him. 



' PECULIARITIES OF THE BRAIN OF THE OX. 



Of the peculiarities of the brain of the ox we will say little, for 

 they are unconnected with that which is the object of our treatise, 

 the useful knowledge of tte animal The posterior part of the 



n* 



