NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 851 
If the arrangement of the material at his command is not so 
good as it might have been, this doubtless must be attributed 
not so much to the inability of the author to deal with his facts, 
as to the regrettable circumstance of his demise before the 
completion of his _ labours. Under the mnom-de-plume of 
*Historicus,” the late Mr. Storrer was well known as an 
experienced writer on the various breeds of domestic cattle, 
particularly “Short-horns,” and his opinions were always 
received with deference by those who claimed with him to be 
authorities on the subject. Had he lived to complete the 
present work, it may be assumed that in several respects it 
would have been materially improved. ‘‘'The text of the book,” 
says the editor (his son), “‘ has been left by me in all respects as 
Mr. Storrer left it, with the sole exception of a few merely verbal 
corrections. A few notes it seemed well to add are carefully 
distinguished. In every case I have been most particular to 
preserve the exact meaning of the author, even to the minutest 
shade.’” In this respect, we think, the editor has exercised a 
wise discretion. 
Commencing with an examination of the questions affecting 
the origin of cattle, the European races, and the fossil species, 
the author investigates the history of the Urus in ancient 
Britain, and the early notices which he has met with of wild 
cattle in England and Scotland. Passing from forest to park, 
he dwells on the gradual extinction of wild animals in forests, 
while, owing to the protection afforded them, they still survive 
in parks, and quotes such authors as have contributed to a 
history of so-called wild cattle in the semi-domesticated state. 
To the Chillingham herd no less than four chapters are de- 
voted,— doubtless because it has been noticed by previous 
writers more than any other, and after dealing less fully with 
the herds of Chartley, Lyme Park, Burton Constable, Somer- 
ford, Wollaton, Gisburne, Middleton, and Gunton Park, he 
passes on to a consideration of the extinct and existing Scottish 
herds, and, in an “ Appendix,” gives a list of localities where 
wild white cattle or their domestic descendants are (in his 
opinion) proved to have existed. 
This list is a long one; much longer, indeed, than most 
people would suppose. In Scotland alone eleven places are 
named as having at one time harboured wild cattle, although in 
