226 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



buffelus), ranging from India and Ceylon to South Europe. It is 

 a descendant of the wild Indian Buffalo [Bubalus ami). 



It is scarcely necessary to remark that oxen, besides serving 

 as an important source of food, are useful in many other ways. 

 In South Africa, for instance, it would be difficult to exaggerate 

 their value for purposes of transport, while in many countries they 

 are used to draw the plough, as, e.g., in Hungary (fig. 1161). 

 Tallow, hoofs, horns, and hides are the most valuable products 

 of the carcase, meat alone excepted. 9 This may be illustrated 

 by the fact that raw hides were imported into this country in 

 1902 to the value of ,2,441,000. It may be added that in 

 June, 1903, the total number of cattle in the United Kingdom 

 amounted to 11,408,560, i.e. about 148 head per thousand acres. 



THE SHEEP (Ovis ARIES). Wild Sheep of various species are 

 characteristic of the Northern Hemisphere, and different origins 

 must be sought for the domesticated forms of different areas. 

 Regarding the breeds with which we are familiar in this country 

 there is much difference of opinion, but it is probable that some 

 of them represent a mixture of several different strains. We 

 know that during the Newer Stone Age (Neolithic period) the 

 sheep existed in a tame condition, though it would appear to 

 have been domesticated subsequent to the ox, and the bones 

 that have been found, e.g. in connection with some of the Swiss 

 lake-dwellings, indicate a slender and rather goat-like creature. 

 But here, as in the case of our other familiar farm mammals, 

 the question of origin is complicated by the consideration that 

 the invading Neolithic tribes, who drove out the rude hunters 

 and fishermen of the Older Stone Age (Palaeolithic period), pro- 

 bably brought domesticated animals with them. If we knew 

 with certainty whence these immigrants came, the problem would 

 be rather less complex, but our knowledge on this point is un- 

 fortunately very incomplete. Grave doubt has been cast upon 

 the picturesque view that Central Asia is the " cradle" of the 

 Aryan race, and that the mixed populations of Europe mainly 

 result from successive "waves" of immigration which have 

 radiated from this centre. It is more likely that Neolithic man 

 was of North African stock, and invaded Europe from the south. 

 He certainly at one time inhabited Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and 

 South Italy. In view of the possible correctness of the view 

 indicated, it may be well to remember that a wild species of 



