﻿Vol. 6 1.] 



OSSIFEROUS CAVEEJST AT LONGCLIFFE. 



51 



Ungulata. 

 Bos or Bison. 



Bovine remains were more numerous in the Longcliffe Cave than 

 those of any other animal ; they include bones from all parts of the 

 skeleton, but unfortunately there are no portions of the frontal 

 bones and horn-cores sufficiently perfect to indicate the species 

 positively. Many of the bones and teeth are of large size, and would 

 compare favourably with the largest bovine remains that have beer 

 found in Pleistocene deposits. There is, however, much variation 

 in this respect, even among the bones that are obviously adult. 

 Many young animals are represented, not only by limb-bones 

 without epiphyses, but also by numerous milk-teeth. 



It is by no means easy to decide the species to which these bovine 

 remains should be referred, or whether they represent more than one 

 species. Differences in the proportions of some of the bones are 

 obvious, such as would seem to show that two forms of large size 

 are present, and one is naturally led to expect Bos bison and Bos 

 primigenius ; but a closer examination makes one less certain that 

 there are two species. The most obvious differences are seen in the 

 proportions of the metatarsal and metacarpal bones, more especially 

 in the latter. Some of these are exceedingly wide, while others, 

 that are absolutely longer, are actually narrower. 



A comparison with the measurements of metacarpals, as given by 

 William Davies 1 in his Catalogue of the Antonio-Brady Collection, 

 shows that our broad form agrees very closely with what he has 

 referred to Bos primigenius, while our more slender form is the 

 counterpart of his Bison. 



Measurements (in millimetres) op Metacarpals from Longcliffe Cave, 



COMPARED WITH THOSE GIVEN BY W. DaVIES, AND BY PROF. BoYD DaWKINS. 





Greatest 

 length. 



Least 



width of 



shaft. 



Width of 



proxivial 



end. 



Width 



of distal 



end. 



Per cent, 

 width to 

 length. 



17-4 

 236 



Bison (?) from Longcliffe 

 (No. 40) 



9-75 

 93 

 9-7 

 100 



1-7 

 22 



2-85 

 3-7 



315 



3-5 



Bos primigenius (?) Long- 

 cliffe (No. 41) 





Bison, Ilford, ex Davies . 



Bos 'primigenius, Ilford, 



ex Davies 



1-7 

 2-2 



30 

 36 



30 



3-7 



174 



22-0 



Bison, Windy Kuoll, ex 

 Dawkins, extremes. 



9-3 



8-7 



2-2 * 

 1-6* 



34 



2-8 



37 



2-8 



236 

 18-3 



Bison, from PleasleyVale, 

 in Mus. Pract. Geol. 



8-25 



1-63 



2-8 



30 



197 



These measurements are calculated from the circumference. 



1 ' Catalogue of the Pleistocene Vertebrata from the Neighbourhood of Ilford, 

 in the Collection of Sir Antonio Brady ' London, 1874, pp. 46 & 55. [Privately 



printed.] 



