502 Wild Cattle of Great Britain. 
J. E. Harting, F.LS., F.Z.S., the latest scientific authority 
who has given attention—and that in a most thorough manner— 
to the wild white cattle, says, in his British Animals Extinct, page 
214: “The weight of scientific opinion, however, seems to favor 
the view that these wild cattle were descended from the Urus, either 
by direct descent through wild animals from the bull, or, less directly, 
through domesticated cattle deriving their blood principally from 
him.” 
Riitimeyer, Nillsson, Lyell, Darwin, and Boyd-Dawkins believe 
that our wild white cattle are descended from the Urus in one or 
other of the two ways above indicated; while Owen and Dr. J. A. 
Smith (“ Notes on the Ancient Cattle of Scotland,” in Proc. Soc. 
Antiq. Scotl., Vol. IX., p. 587) hold a-different view, and consider 
that Bos primigenius became extinct throughout the whole island 
in prehistoric times. “This may have been the case,” says Hart- 
ing, “in southern parts of Britain.” But he indicates conclusively 
that this could not have been the case in undisturbed Caledonia. 
In Ireland “ no trace of these wild cattle has been discovered, 
although remains of the smaller Bos longifrons have been procured 
from some localities.” 
The late J. Gibson, of the Museum of Science and Art, Edin- 
burgh, Scotland, writing on “Cattle” in the Encyclopædia 
Britannica (ninth edition), says : “ Bos taurus, var. Scoticus, makes 
the nearest approach of living forms to Urus, represented by Cad- 
zow, Chillingham, Lyme, and Chartley herds.” 
These herds have been preserved since early historic times. The 
pictures by famous artists—such as Ward, Landseer, and others— 
represent them faithfully. 
BRITISH WHITE POLLED CATTLE. 
Rev. John Storer’s work! is the most exhaustive we have on the 
subject of the wild white cattle of. Britain, while J. E. Harting, 
F.LS., F.Z.S., editor of the Zoologist, has published a more 
concise account.” 
The following is a tabular view of the various herds :— 
1 Wild White Cattle of Great Britain. 
2 Extinct British Animals. 
