CHAPTER III. 



The Urus in Ancient Britain — Fossil Remains found in both the Stone and Bronze 

 Ages — Likely to survive much later in the North — Early Notices of Wild 

 Cattle — Such Notices relate to Southern England — Extreme Wildness of the 

 Northern Mountainous Districts — These Districts the last Home of British 

 Wild Animals. 



The question of the origin of the white races of cattle 

 in Great Britain is much complicated by the circum- 

 stance that they have existed in this country both as wild 

 and as domesticated animals, and yet that in all cases 

 they seem of the same variety. Another difficulty is to 

 obtain evidence upon the condition of things in remote 

 times. Ancient historians give no description whatever 

 of wild cattle, except in a few passing notices : and these, 

 with few exceptions, are found only in authors who lived 

 during the latter part of the mediaeval period. The 

 same is true to a yet greater extent as respects our 

 domestic cattle. 



The great question to be decided is, whether the 

 white herds are to be considered aboriginal, in the usual 

 sense of the term — that is, whether they originally 

 came to this country as wild animals, and for all ages 

 have so continued ; or whether they were, generations 

 ago, introduced by man, many of them having since 

 become feral. 



In one or other of these ways I feel no doubt that 



