10 ORIGIN OF DOMESTIC CATTLE. 



founded on analogy that can enable us to invalidate it. 

 There is nothing more incredible in the supposition that 

 animals should diminish in size, with changes in the 

 condition of the earth, than that they should be extin- 

 guished altogether, and supplanted by new species. The 

 fossil urus inhabited Europe when a very different con- 

 dition existed with regard to temperature, the supplies 

 of vegetable 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 Lincolnshire 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 animals 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 coun- 

 tries." 



