234 THE OX. 



The Uri of the forests of Europe seem to have rapidly 

 decreased in numbers, with the progress of settlement and 

 cultivation in different countries. Anthony Fitzstephen, who 

 wrote in the latter part of the reign of Henry II., describes 

 them as then abounding in the great forests round London. 

 John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, who wrote in 1598, states that 

 the Wild Ox, which he terms Bos Sylvestris, was found in 

 the woods of Scotland ; that it was of a white colour, had a 

 thick mane resembling a lion's ; that it was wild and savage, 

 and, when irritated, rushed upon the hunters, overthrew the 

 horses, and despised the attacks of the fiercest dogs. He 

 says that it had formerly abounded in the Sylva Caledonia, 

 but was then only to be found at Stirling, Cumbernauld, and 

 Kincardine. 



Hector Boece, in his History and Chronicles of Scotland, 

 bears testimony to the like effect : " At this toun" (namely 

 Stirling), " began the grit wod of Calidon. This wod of 

 Calidon ran fra Striveling throw Menteith and Stratherne, 

 to Atholl and Lochquabir, as Ptolome writtis in his first 

 table. In this wod wes sum time quhit bullis, with crisp and 

 curland mane, like feirs lionis, and thoucht thay semit meek 

 and tame in the remanent figure of thair bodyis, thay wer 

 mair wild than ony uthir beistis, and had sic hatrent aganis 

 the societe and cumpany of men, that thay come nevir in the 

 wodis, nor lesuris quhair thay fand ony feit or haind thairof, 



incredible in the supposition, that animals should diminish in size, with changes 

 in the condition of the earth, than that they should be extinguished altogether, 

 and supplanted by new species. The fossil Urus inhabited Europe when a very 

 different condition existed with regard to temperature, the supplies of vege- 

 table food, and the consequent development of animal forms. Why should not 

 the Urus, under these conditions, have been a far larger animal than he subse- 

 quently became? We know by experience the effects of food in increasing or 

 diminishing the size of this very race of animals. The great Ox of the Lin- 

 colnshire fens exceeds in size the little Ox of Barbary or the Highland Hills, 

 as much as the fossil Urus exceeded the larger Oxen of Germany and England ; 

 and we cannot consider it as incredible, that an animal which inhabited Europe 

 when Elephants found food and a climate suited to their natures, should have 

 greatly surpassed in magnitude the same species under the present conditions 

 of the same countries. 



