1881.] in our Domestic Animals. 957 
Among these I may mention the ox, the horse, the goat, the 
sheep, the hog, the dog, the cat, the turkey, the peacock and the 
barnyard fowl. Where I had not the opportunity of studying 
these personally, I spared no pains to gather the facts from the 
most reliable sources. 
The greatest physical degeneracy was observed in the wild 
horse and the wild sheep. The ox was introduced by Vancouver, 
less than a century since, upon the island of Kauai, from Califor- 
nia, whence it was introduced upon the other islands. At most it 
has been subject to the new influences scarcely three quarters of 
acentury. During that time no appreciable change has taken 
Place in the coloring of the ox, nor much in his form, but his 
habit is wild and wary, fleeing from man in alarm; and he has 
acquired great fleetness over the lava beds in the mountainous 
tegions which he selects for his home. While he is terrified at 
the approach of man; when wounded or hard pressed he becomes 
bold and aggressive, and isa dangerous enemy. In some parts 
of the islands they have become so numerous that the scarcity of 
sustenance has forced them down into the lower regions, where 
it is feared that they may destroy the forests upon which it is 
Supposed much of the rain-fall depends. Indeed, on the Island 
of Ouahu a large district of country was pointed out to me 
which was said to have been once a forest, and was now entirely 
destitute of arborcous vegetation. This change was attributed to 
the wild cattle. They are hunted for their hides alone. 
I saw none of the wild horses or wild sheep, neither of which 
are numerous. I was told that the former are much more degen- 
erated in size, form and vigor than those on our western plains, 
Which may be attributed to the want of an abundance of food 
adapted to their requirements in the elevated regions which they 
affect, but in habit they are as wild as the cattle. — 
The wild sheep, which are very limited in number, and I met 
with few who had seen them, were small, gaunt and long-legged, 
_ With a scant and coarse pelage. | ae 
The wild goats are very numerous, especially in the mountain- 
ous regions of the eastern islands. During the afternoon which 
I'spent viewing the wonderful sights from the rim of the great 
extinct crater, Haleakala, I saw two bands of wild goats within 
the crater, I sat ten thousand feet above the sea. The chasm 
before me was seven miles across and two thousand feet deep. - Its 
