CONTINENTAL DOMESTIC ANIMALS. turn 



the one is represented by the small short-horned Bos longifrons now living in Switzerland 

 and Brittany, while to the latter, or to the urus type, all the larger breeds may be assigned- 

 These two breeds were very widely known at the very beginning of history in the several 

 countries. The horse also was universally known. The ass, on the other hand, which is 

 of unknown antiquity in Asia, was used in Europe in the year 500 B.C., since, tlerodotus 

 mentions that some of Darius's cavalry were mounted on these animals when he invaded 

 the valley of the Danube. It was probably well known to the Greeks from their 

 intercourse with the Asiatics. 1 The Persians seem to have been in the habit of using 

 them in their expeditions, since they are quoted also as beasts of draught in the army 

 of Xerxes. 2 



The mule 3 also was used in Darius's expedition against the Scythians, and was 

 imported into Rome before the days of Nero, since Pliny mentions the extravagance of 

 Tophsea in having her mules' hoofs shod with gold/ 



The buffalo 5 was introduced into Itlay, according to Paulus Diaconus, in the year 

 596 a.d., to the intense astonishment of the Italian rustics. It is certainly that which is 

 now preserved in the Roman Campana and the Pontine Marshes. The animal, according 

 to Buffon, 6 was unknown in ancient Italy, and the present race is derived, according to 

 him, from the Indian and African breed. 



The domestic cat, as Sir G. C. Lewis and Prof. Rolleston, following the views of Dr. 

 Lenz, have shown, was certainly introduced into Greece and Rome as early as the fourth 

 century after Christ. To Prof. Rolleston we are indebted for an exhaustive analysis of 

 the evidence as to its presence in Europe. 



On looking into Ducange's ' Glossarium,' under the words " Catta " and " Cattinae 

 pelles," I find that Caesarius, who was the physician brother of Gregory the theologian 

 of Nazianzus, and who died a.d. 369, having been the friend of the second Constantine 

 and Constantius, speaks of" ivSpvfiovg Karrag ;" and I presume that the use of this expression 

 shows with some degree of probability that tame cats were in use by this time in 

 Constantinople. The date of Palladius is somewhat uncertain, though supposed, with a 

 good deal of probability, to have been about the same as that of Caesarius ; but as his local 

 habitation appears to have been Italy, his words 7 (lib. iv, cap. ix), "contra talpas prodest 

 catos frequenter habere in mediis carduetis, mustellas habent plerique mansuetas," are of 



1 Herodotus, 4, 129. 



2 Id., 7, 56. 



3 'Ufxiovos, Herodotus, 4, 129. 



4 xxxiii, 11, 49. 



5 " Tunc primum caballi silvatici et bubali in Italiam delati Italise populis miracula fuerunt " (in 

 ' Muratori Rerum Italicarum Scriptores,' vol. i, p. 457. Lib. iv, cap. xi, of Paulus Diaconus, " De gestis 

 Langobardorum," vol. i, p. 457). 



6 Buffon, ' Quadr.,' t. v, p. 52 ; t. x, p. 67. See, also, Sir G. C. Lewis, ' Notes and Queries,' Second 

 Series, vol. ix, pp. 4, 5. 



7 " De Re Rustica." 



