DOMESTIC CATTLE. 155 



ence which he found in the characters of the 

 oxen which he used for riding; and for draw- 

 ing his waggons when he was in South Africa, 

 says : "Not one ox out of forty will make a 

 ' ride-ox,' for only those are fit to break in 

 that show far less gregariousness of disposition 

 than oxen ordinarily do. The beasts that walk 

 first and lead the herd are the only oxen that 

 can be ridden with any comfort or success ; 

 the others jib and crowd together and fight 

 with their horns when you try to urge them 

 on, and the whole caravan comes to a stand- 

 still." Other African travellers dwell upon the 

 difficulty in finding oxen of sufficient independ- 

 ence of character to take the front place in 

 the long teams. Doubtless among wild cattle 

 animals which show this disposition to act on 

 their own initiative would be the natural leaders 

 of a herd. 



There is one peculiar habit, not unknown 

 amoncr other domestic animals, but which has 

 attracted special attention in the case of cattle. 

 If an individual in a herd happens to be sick 

 or wounded, the others, instead of showing 

 sympathy, attack it, and either drive it away 

 into solitude or gore it to death. The whole 



