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but chiefly on grass. They are by far the most 
useful of all ruminants, both living and dead. 
The domestic cattle (Plate XXIII. fig. a, b) 
are spread over the whole world, and there are many 
varieties. They are believed to be derived from the 
crossing of at least three originally wild species: 
Bos taurus, Bos primigenius, and bos longifrons. 
The Zebu (Bos indicus, Plate XXIII, fig. d) 
one of the sacred animals of the Hindus, is remark- 
able for the large hump above the shoulder, and 
for the very short flattened horns. It is a quiet, inof- 
fensive animal, but more active than our domestic cattle. 
The Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus, Plate XXIII. 
fig.c) has as much the appearance of a sheep as of an 
ox. The large broad head has a hairy, narrow 
muzzle, the bocy is long, the legs very short, and 
the tail shorter than in the true oxen. The 
horns which are curved first downwards and then 
upwards, are ponderous and dangerous weapons. The 
Musk Ox inhabits Greenland and the extreme north 
of North America, and is clothed with long thick 
brown hair, which is shorter on the legs. It prefers 
swampy but rocky neighbourhoods, where it feeds 
in summer on grass and marsh-plants, and in winter 
on moss and lichens. If it is attacked, it defends 
itself with great strenght and courage. 
The Buffalo (Bubalus vulgaris, Plate XXIV. 
fig. a) inhabits Southern Europe, and the adjacent parts 
of Africa and Asia as far as India. Its body is stout 
and rounded, the neck short, with no dewlap, and 
the short, broad head is armed with very large and 
strongly curving horns. The legs are of moderate 
length, but very strong, and the tail is rather long. 
The hair is dark brown, and is rather thin except 
on the shoulders, the front of the head, and the tuft of 
the tail. The Buffalo has a formidable and imposing 
appearance, and is not to be despised as an anta- 
gonist, even by the tiger. But the tame buffalo can 
easily be managed, even by a child, and will yield 
good milk and excellent meat on very pour food. 
Both wild and tame buffaloes delight to bathe in 
swamps and rivers. 
The Aurochs (Bison europeus) is the largest 
and fiercest of the European ruminants. Its horns 
are short, but very strong, and its colour is dark 
brown. In winter the hair is longer, thicker and 
darker. The eyes are wild and restless. The Aur- 
ochs was formerly common in most parts of Europe, 
but is now found only in Lithuania (where it is strictly 
preserved) and in the Caucasus. It is fierce and un- 
tamable, but does not generally attack man, though 
it will give place to no one, especially in winter. 
A little thing, however, will rouse its fury, when it 
will charge upon the offending object with red, rolling 
eyes, and upraised tail. It has been thought that 
this animal, which stands six feet high at the shoulder, 
was the Urus which Czesar saw in the forests of Southern 
Germany, and which he describes as being nearly as 
large as an elephant. But it is now believed that 
Cesar’s Urus was Los primigenius, a very large 
extinct species, which was one of the ancestral stocks 
of our domestic cattle. The Aurochs is closely allied 
to the North American Bison; (generally, but im- 
properly called the Buffalo); and the latter animal, 
like its European representative, is now nearly extinct 
in a wild state. The Aurochs is represented on p. 19. 
Goats. 
(Plates XXIV. XXV.) 
Goats are mountain-loving animals. The body 
is strong and compact rather than elegant in form, 

the legs are rather short and strong, the neck short, 
and the head broad and rather obtuse. Both sexes 
have strong smooth sickle-shaped horns curved back- 
wards, and abeard under the chin. They climb and 
leap well; their senses are acute, and their intelligence 
is considerable. 
The Ibex (Capra Ibex, Plate XXIV. fig. d) is 
the wild goat of the Alps. An old buck measures 
more than foor feet long, stands three feet high, and 
may weigh nearly two hundred pounds. Both sexes 
have large crescent-shaped horns, curving backwards, 
bearing strong ridges. The buck is larger than the 
doe, has a small beard, and his horns attain the 
length of three feet. The hair is short and reddish 
grey in summer, but in winter it is paler, longer and 
thicker. The Ibex surpasses the Chamois in wariness 
and boldness, but although once common in the 
Alps, has lately become restricted to a few localities. 
The Bezoar Goat (/fircus Acgagrus, Plate XXV. 
fig. a) is very like an Ibex in size, and in the length 
of the horns, but the horns are differently shaped. 
They curve backwards in a similar manner, but then 
turn inwards. The horn has two longitudinal ridges, 
and the transverse ridges are much wider apart than 
in the Ibex. They vary much in colour, and the 
male has a long beard. The usual colour is reddish 
grey, above, which is separated from the white under- 
surface by a black lateral streak; there is a dark 
longitudinal streak on the back, and the neck and 
breast are black. It inhabits the steep mountains of 
Western and Central Asia, lives in small. flocks, 
like the Ibex, and is equally dificult to approach. 
This species is considered to be one of the 
principal wild stocks from which the tame Goat 
(Plate XXIV. fig. b. c) is descended. The Goat is 
now reared in all countries for the sake of its 
milk, skin, hair; and flesh. It is fond of the 
bark of young trees, and is very destructive in 
plantations. 
The Cashmere Goat (/fircus Laniger, Plate 
XXV. fig. b) is reared for the sake of the long 
silky hair and wool which covers the whole body, 
except the face and ears, and which is almost as 
fine and lustrous as silk. It is an animal of moderate 
size, measuring four feet in length, and standing rather 
more than two feet high. The colour is variable. 
It may be yellowish white, brown or black, but the 
silvery white animals are the most valvable. The 
Cashmere Goat is reared everywhere in Thibet, 
Bokhara, &c. 
Plate XXV. fig. d) represents the Theban Goat 
(THircus thebaicus) which is rather smaller than the 
domesticated goat, but has longer legs and shorter 
hair, and more resembles’ a sheep. The head is 
uglier than in most other goats, for the horns and 
beard are almost absent, and the back of the nose 
is so much raised, especially in the buck, that the 
upper lip is drawn back, and the lower incisors are 
exposed. This goat is a native of Upper Egypt. 
Sihyeeip: 
(Plate XXV. XXVI.) 
The Sheep are distinguished from the Goats 
by their ridged, three-sided, and generally spiral 
horns, the large tear-channels, the glands between 
the hoofs, and the absence of a beard, The head 
is much narrowed in front, the body slender, and 
thickly clothed with hair or wool, the legs are long 
and slender, and the tail is short, or moderately long. 
Wild sheep inhabit the mountain regions of the 
