Wilson — Scandinavian Origin of Hornless Cattle of British Isles. 163 



Scandiuavia, and tlien to Britain. He presumes their arrival in Britain 

 at a date, however, which is far too early : " In Great Britain, the 

 hornless cattle were driven to the extreme north among the Scottish 

 mountains in company with the Kelts fleeing before the Eomans and the 

 Anglo-Saxons."^ 



Mr. Henry F. Euren, who has written a history of the English red 

 polled breed, suggests that the old Suffolk cattle were descended from 

 Scythian stock.- 



It has not been possible to see a copy of Arenander's paper on the 

 lioruless cattle of Northern Europe. 



There are several other questions connected with the present subject that 

 might be referred to shortly. It was pointed out early in tliis Paper that 

 several of the " wild " white herds in Britain are or were hornless. Are these 

 of the same race as the hornless cattle of Scandinavian origin ? For the 

 present that question will have to remain unanswered. If they are of the same 

 race, then their colour has been changed. This could have happened in only 

 a few generations by crossing with white horned cattle, while, at the same time, 

 the hornless character could have been retained. But it would be somewhat 

 extraordinary if all the hornless herds had changed their colour. It is also 

 possible that the " wild " white hornless herds were once horned and lost 

 their horns by crossing with hornless cattle. 



A statement by Professor Cossar Ewart, in the article " Cattle" in the 

 " Standard Cyclopgedia of Agriculture," to the effect that he has found 

 hornless cattle-skulls in tlie Eoman fort at Newstead in Berwickshire, 

 suggests that the Eomans may have brought hornless as well as horned cattle 

 to Britain: both being of the South European white race. This would mean 

 tliat two sets of hornless cattle came to Britain : one, the light-dun set by 

 the northern, and the other, the white set, by the southern route. That 

 suggests the further question : Where did these two sets of liornless cattle 

 come from originally, and where did they split partnership ? Did they split 

 somewhere in tlie south-east of Europe? and, tracing it backwards, does their 

 track lead through Asia Minor, down through Syria, and across the Isthmus 

 of Suez into Egypt ? Or were the Egyptian hornless cattle merely another 

 branch of a race having its origin in Asia ? and should the track strike 

 eastwards from Asia Minor ? According to Keller,' from whom the follow- 

 ing illustration is copied, there were hornless cattle in Egypt as early as the 

 fourth and fifth dynasties. 



1 " Landwirtschaftsliche Jahrbucher," vol. xvii., 1888, pp. 299 and 300. 



- "Wallace's " Live Stock." 



3 " Katurgeschiclite der Haustiere," 1905, p. 115. 



