THE CHILLINGHAM OX. 531 



pure descendants of a species of great size and ferocity, which 

 existed in central Europe within the period of authentic history, 

 and which the ancients called Urus a name improperly applied 

 by Gmelin to the zubr, which is Aristotle's bonasos, and Pliny's 

 bison. Till we possess the means of satisfactorily tracing a 

 species through the aid of such natural laws, as a series of 

 judicious and well-directed experiments on the cross-breeding 

 of animals would probably reveal, all opinions upon the scientific 

 distinction or identity of these animals are merely conjectural. 

 The proprietors of these renowned cattle seem most unwilling 

 to admit the possibility of their being in any way related to 

 the vulgar ox 5 and this desire to make them out something 

 very curious may, perhaps, explain why none of our Zoological 

 Gardens have been enriched with living specimens of them, 

 or any Museum with a skeleton. 



The two most noted stocks of half-wild white oxen exist 

 in Cadzow Forest, at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, and in the park 

 of Chillingham Castle, Northumberland. Lord Tankerville is 

 the proprietor of the latter stock, and has written an account 

 of them, which is interesting j but it contains some state- 

 ments concerning those on other estates, which are shown to 

 be incorrect by the Rev. William Patrick, who has had 

 frequent opportunities of observing and studying the habits 

 of those in Cadzow Forest. His lordship says there are 

 herds of wild cattle at Lymne Park, Cheshire, and at Chartley 

 Park (the seat of Lord Ferrars). The first, he says, he has 

 not seen, but adds, " they are described as of a different colour, 

 and different in every respect; but those at the latter place 

 closely resemble (with the exception of some small difference 

 in the colour of the ears) those at Chillingham in colour, size, 

 and general appearance, and, as well as I could collect, in their 

 habits." 



The accounts which different writers have published of these 

 animals are so exceedingly confused and contradictory, and 

 so deficient in points of primary importance, that although 

 a digest of them might expose their discrepancies, it would 



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