OF THE FAUNA. 153 



of these larger species as an Indication of their greater 

 abundance in the oldest period; but we must not forget 

 that not only the bear and the elk, but also the aurochs 

 and the urus appear at a comparatively late period. On 

 the other hand, the abundance of wild animals, and the 

 fact that at Moosseedorf and Wauwyl the fox was more 

 abundant than the dog, while elsewhere the reverse is the 

 case, certainly speak in favor of the greater antiquity of 

 these two settlements. 



The evidence derived from the distribution of the domestic 

 animals is, perhaps, more satisfactory. The sheep is present 

 even at Moosseedorf, though not so numerous as at Nidau. 

 On the other hand, the horse is frequent at Nidau, while at 

 Moosseedorf only a single bone of this animal was discovered, 

 in a different condition from that of the other bones, and 

 probably more recent. Finally,' the domestic hog of the 

 present race is absent from all the Pileworks of the Stone 

 period, excepting the one at Wauwyl, and becomes frequent 

 only at Nidau. 



If succeeding investigations confirm the conclusions thus 

 indicated, we may infer that the domestic animals, which 

 were comparatively rare in the Stone period, became more 

 frequent after the introduction of bronze ; a change indi- 

 cating and perhaps producing an alteration of habits on 

 the part of the inhabitants. 



Rare, indeed, as they may have been,, oxen, horses, sheep, 

 and goats could not be successfully kept through the winter 

 in the climate of Switzerland, without stores of provisions 

 and some sort of shelter. A pastoral people, therefore, must 

 have reached a higher grade than a mere nation of hunters. 

 We know, moreover, in another way, that at this period 

 agriculture was not entirely unknown. This is proved in 

 the most unexpected manner, by the discovery of carbonised 

 cereals at various points. Wheat is most common, having 



