THE BULL. 207 



thirteen sub-families. I Bovinae, II Tragelaphinae, III Oryginse, 

 IV Hippotraginae, V Gazellinse, VI Antilocaprinae, VII Cer- 

 vicaprinse, VIII Cephalophinae, IX Alcephalinse, X Budorcinse, 

 XI Rupicaprinse, XII Nemorhedinae, XIII Caprinae. 

 The Bull, The sub-family Bovinae includes the Bull, the 

 ^^ Bison, and the Buffalo. The antiquity of the 

 The Buffalo, ruminants shrouds their origin in obscurity. They 

 are of frequent mention in the sacred writings as belonging 

 to the earliest historic period, and as living in a state of 

 domestication in all times. The Bull has a very vidde geo- 

 graphical area, and is found in most parts of the world. In 

 England, as the Rev. J. G. Wood puts it, there are almost 

 as many breeds as counties, and they are generally distin- 

 guished by the length or shape of their horns. The "long- 

 homed" breed belong to Lancashire, the "short-homed" 

 to Durham, the "middle-horned" to Devonshire, besides 

 which there is the "polled", a hornless breed. Of the Bison 

 there are two species, one belonging to Poland and the Cau- 

 casus, and the other to North America. The Buffalo belongs 

 to the south of Europe, to India, and to North Africa, 

 the Cape Buffalo inhabiting the south of "the dark conti- 

 nent." 

 The BuU. Few animals show as much difference of dis- 

 The Ox. position in the male and female as the Bull 

 The Cow. ^jjjj jjjg Q^^ rpj^g gjjjj jg Qj.^gjj excited to un- 

 governable fury, is generally unsafe and often dangerous. 

 These characteristics have doubtless marked him out as the 

 object of sport in the Roman Amphitheatre and the Spanish 

 Bull fight. The Cow, on the other hand, displays a gentle 

 and docile disposition, is placid, mild, and obedient to the 

 will of those who govern it. The Bull is kept mainly for the 

 purposes of breeding, being too uncertain for use as a beast 

 of burden or for other employment. The Ox which is the 

 subdued offspring of the Bull and the Cow, is much more 

 amenable to control and therefore a much more useful 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



