286 On the Flat-horned Taurine Cattle of S. E. Asia. [Xo. 3, 



need hardly be remarked that the humped type of domestic cattle 

 is generally diffused over the hotter parts of Africa, from east to west 

 or ocean to ocean, and on the eastern side as far south as Natal, and 

 throughout Madagascar; the same being the only Taurine type 

 known in Arabia,* though, curiously, in the essentially Arabian island of 



Museum, figured in Prof. Owen's ' British Fossil Mammala and Birds,' 498, 507. 

 The latter measures just 2\ ft. from vertex to tips of intermaxillaries. Compare 

 also Prof. Owen's figure of Bison peiscus with Prof. Nilsson's figure of the 

 modern type of European Bison from the Swedish peat (p. 490 and p. 415 of 

 the same Vols, respectively). Whether the latter has occurred in the British 

 Islands I am unaware ; but suspect that it does not, or at least that it has not 

 been recognised hitherto. 



Perhaps the latest (though vague) notice of the TJrus, as an existing animal, 

 occurs in Bell's 'Travels in Tartary,' Yol. I, Ch. Ill, p. 223 : "Journey from 

 Tomsky to Elimsky, in the country of the Tsuliam Tartars." It seems to me 

 to refer more probably to the wild taurine Urus than to the Bison ; but in either 

 case the notice is sufficiently remarkable. " On the hills, and in the woods near 

 this place, are many sorts of wild beasts ; particularly the Urus, or Uhr-ox, one 

 of the fiercest animals the world produces. Their force is such, that neither the 

 Wolf, Bear, nor Tiger, dares to engage with them. In the same woods," Bell 

 continues, " is found another species of Oxen, called Bubul by the Tartars. It 

 is not so large as the Urus ; its body and limbs are very handsome : it has a high 

 shoulder and flowing with long hair growing from the rump to its extremity, like 

 that of a Horse. Those which I saw were tame, and as tractable as other cattle." 

 Certainly a remarkable notice of the Yak, both wild and tame (as it would 

 seem), in a region where that animal is at present unknown. The word Bubul 

 has probably its connexion with Bubulus. 



The difference in the development of the wild and tame Buffalo of India is 

 equally observable where the two frequent the same pastures and commonly inter- 

 breed ; and I believe the main reason of it to be, that the tame calves are deprived 

 of their due supply of milk. The importance of an ample supply of nourishment 

 in early life, as bearing on the future development of any animal, cannot be over- 

 estimated. A friend remarked to me that he had no idea of what a fine Buffalo 

 was, till he saw those of Burma. They are there, he states, much larger than 

 in Bengal, with splendid horns, and altogether a vastly superior animal. The- 

 Burmese never milk them; having the same strange prejudice against milk which 

 the Chinese have, though otherwise both people are nearly omnivorous. There 

 is a corresponding difference of development in the wild and tame races of Yak, 

 and of Rein Deer in Lapland, — doubtless for the same reason. 



* The humped cattle of Arabia generally are " of a very small and poor race, 

 and are never, but with the greatest reluctance, killed for food," (Wallin, in 

 Journ. Roy. Geogr. Soc, Yol. XXIV, 148.) Chesney remarks of them, that 

 "bulls and cows take the next place to the Buffalo, and, like those of India, 

 they bear a hump, and are of small size; some bullocks purchased at Suwei- 

 deyah, produced, each, only about 224 Its. of meat." Again, in his Appendix 

 (Vol. I, 279), he enumerates, among the domestic animals of Arabia and Meso- 

 potamia, " both the common bull and cow, and the bull and cow with hunch." 

 In the province of Kerman, in Persia, Mr. Keith C. Abbot remarks that " the 

 oxen of this part of the country are of a small humped kind, and are commonly 

 used as beasts of burthen ; people also ride on them, seated on a soft pad, and 

 a rope is passed through the nostril, by which they are guided." (Journ. Roy. 

 Geogr. Soc, Vol. XXV, 43.) 



