200 MAMMALIA. 
Spain, which have a fine curly fleece, with large spiral horns on 
the male, now beginning to be diffused throughout Europe, and 
that of England, whose wool is fine and long. 
The most common variety in southern Russia has a very long 
tail. Those of India and of Guinea, which also have long tails, 
are distinguished by their long legs, very convex foreheads, 
pendent ears, want of horns, and short hair. 
The north of Europe and of Asia has almost every where a 
breed of small Sheep with a very short tail. In the race of Per- 
sia, Tartary, and China, the tail is transformed into a double 
globe of fat; in that of Syria and Barbary it is long, but loaded 
with an immense mass of the same substance. In both the ears 
are pendent, the horns of the males large, those of the females 
moderate, and the wool is mixed with hair. 
Sheep are valuable for their flesh, suet, milk, skin, and wool; 
well managed flocks are every where the sources of wealth. 
Lambs are weaned at two months, and shed their milk teeth 
between the first and third year. The period of gestation is 
five months, and two lambs are produced at a birth. 
Bos, Lin. 
The horns of the Ox are directed laterally, inclining upwards or 
forwards, in the form of a crescent; it is a large animal, with a broad 
muzzle, short and thick body, and stout legs. 
B. taurus, L.; Buff. 1V, xvi. (The Common Ox.) Its spe- 
cific characters are a flat forehead, longer than broad, and round 
horns, placed at the extremities of the salient line or ridge 
which separates the forehead from the occiput. In the fossil 
crania, which appear to have belonged to this species in a wild 
state, (the Urus of the ancients) the horns curve forwards and 
downwards; but in the numberless domestic varieties, they 
have very different directions, and are of as many sizes—some- 
times they are even totally wanting. The common races of 
the torrid zone have, all, a lump of fat upon the shoulders, and 
some of them are not larger than the Hog. The utility of these 
animals for labour, and the value of their flesh, fat, milk, hide, 
and horns are known to ney one. The period of eo" is 
nine months. ie 
B.urus, Gm.; Urus or Bison of the ancients; ‘Dube of the 
Polanders; ls CLV. (The Aurochs.) Generally, but 
erroneously, considered as the wild stock of our horned cattle. 
It is distinguished from them by its convex forehead, which is 
wider than it is high, by the insertion of its horns below the 
occipital crest, by the length of its legs, ey an additional pair, 
