226 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 
buffelus), ranging from India and Ceylon to South Europe. It is 
a descendant of the wild Indian Buffalo (Budbalus arnt). 
It is scarcely necessary to remark that oxen, besides serving 
as an important source of food, are useful in many other ways. 
In South Africa, for instance, it would be difficult to exaggerate 
their value for purposes of transport, while in many countries they 
are used to draw the plough, as, e¢.g., in Hungary (fig. 1161). 
Tallow, hoofs, horns, and hides are the most valuable products 
of the carcase, meat alone excepted. This may be illustrated 
by the fact that raw hides were imported into this country in 
1902 to the value of £2,441,000. It may be added that in 
June, 1903, the total number of cattle in the United Kingdom 
amounted to 11,408,560, z.e. about 148 head per thousand acres. 
Tue SuHeeEp (Ovis artEes).—Wild Sheep of various species are 
characteristic of the Northern Hemisphere, and different origins 
must be sought for the domesticated forms of different areas. 
Regarding the breeds with which we are familiar in this country 
there is much difference of opinion, but it is probable that some 
of them represent a mixture of several different strains. We 
know that during the Newer Stone Age (Neolithic period) the 
sheep existed in a tame condition, though it would appear to 
have been domesticated subsequent to the ox, and the bones 
that have been found, e.g. in connection with some of the Swiss 
lake-dwellings, indicate a slender and rather goat-like creature. 
But here, as in the case of our other familiar farm mammals, 
the question of origin is complicated by the consideration that 
the invading Neolithic tribes, who drove out the rude hunters 
and fishermen of the Older Stone Age (Paleolithic period), pro- 
bably brought domesticated animals with them. If we knew 
with certainty whence these immigrants came, the problem would 
be rather less complex, but our knowledge on this point is un- 
fortunately very incomplete. Grave doubt has been cast upon 
the picturesque view that Central Asia is the “cradle” of the 
Aryan race, and that the mixed populations of Europe mainly 
result from successive ‘‘waves” of immigration which have 
radiated from this centre. It is more likely that Neolithic man 
was of North African stock, and invaded Europe from the south. 
He certainly at one time inhabited Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and 
South Italy. In view of the possible correctness of the view 
indicated, it may be well to remember that a wild species of 
