THE WILD CATTLE OF SCOTLAND, OR WHITE 

 POREST BREED. 



According to our best authorities, two forms of 

 the ox tribe, the genus Bos, existed in Scotland at an 

 early period, Bos primigenius and B. longifrons oi 

 Owen. The former was of large size, and according 

 to all accounts the color was black ; it had white 

 horns with long black points, the hide was covered 

 with hair shorter and smoother than in the tame ox, 

 but on the forehead long and curly. From the skel- 

 etons preserved in our museums, the length of this 

 gigantic ox must have been from eleven and one half 

 to twelve feet, and the height of the shoulders about 

 six or six and one half feet.^ Darwin remarks that 

 the Pembroke race in England closely resembles this 

 • ox in essential structure, and that the cattle at pres- 

 ent existing in the Chillingham Park are degenerate 

 descendants of this breed. ^ Bos longifrons, on the 

 contrary, is described as a distinct species, of small 

 size, short body, and fine legs. It was domesticated 

 in England during the Roman period.' Professor 

 Owen thinks it probable that the Welsh and Highland 

 cattle were descended from this species.^ 



1 NllBson, Annals and Mag. of Nat Hist. 1849, Iv, 258. 



2 Anima'B and Plants under DomeBlfcatioDfi, 103. 



3 British Pleistocene Mammalia, p. xv. 



* Animals and Plants under Bum. i, 104. 



