FOSSIL MAMMALIAN REMAINS. 119 
7. Great Fossrtz Ox, Bos primigenius, Bojanus. 
During the excavations of the Jarrow Docks, I was so fortunate 
as to have the pleasure of examining a fine pair of horn-cores of 
that large bovine creature, which is now styled by English 
paleontologists, the Great Fossil Ox. Though very imperfect, 
and perhaps unsightly as specimens, they were the first unde- 
niable proof I had met with of the occurrence of this species in 
our superficial deposits, and of the former existence of this 
truly formidable creature in the ancient forests that skirted the 
banks of the Tyne. So far as I was able to ascertain, only re- 
mains of two individuals occurred. They were embedded in the 
fine calcareous silt of the Slake, at a depth of seventeen feet, and 
fifteen feet below the line at which any traces of artificial remains 
had been observed. The horn-cores were found in connection 
with large irregular calcareous concretions which enclosed 
numerous remains of land and estuarine shells, leaves, moss, 
and fragments of trees. One horn-core was partially surrounded 
by a calcareous nodule containing remarkably distinct impres- 
sions of oak leaves. 
Some years ago Mr. Thomas Gray presented two horn-cores 
of an ox to the Museum, which were dug up in sinking a well at 
the Salt Marshes out of the alluvium at considerable depth. 
They are both ina very fragmentary condition, having been much 
worn and rubbed by the action of water. The larger specimen 
though it differs considerably in the curvature of the horns from 
the Jarrow specimens, I feel inclined to refer to the original 
wild ox, Bos primigenius. It belonged probably to the male of 
that species, the horn-cores being somewhat shorter, and the 
frontal portions of the cranium more massive than those of the in- 
dividual found at Jarrow. The distance between the horn-cores 
of this specimen is nearly ten inches, and the greatest circumfer- 
ence of the horn-core about nine inches. The horn-core also has 
not the characteristic graceful curve of the wild ox. These 
characters assimilate it in some degree to the later domestic 
varieties. 
The other horn-core found at the Salt Marshes, said to be 
found with the former, and bearing mark of rubbing and wearing 
