140 Notices of various Animal Remains 



domesticated cattle in ancient times, it is interesting to no- 

 tice another remark in page 3 of his valuable work, in re- 

 gard to the comparative size of the well-tended cattle of the 

 present day : " There is no doubt that within the last century, 

 their size has progressively increased in England, and kept 

 pace with the improvement of agriculture." How far this 

 may go on, seems rather a difficult matter to determine, as 

 well as to what extent a species of animal like the ox, may 

 be changed from its original type, degenerating, it may be, 

 in some places, and improving in others, by being long under 

 the dominion and management of experimenting and calcu- 

 lating man. 



These rough notes I consider as tending to shew the ex- 

 treme improbability of our domestic cattle being the descend- 

 ants of the large-sized Bos primigenius ; and shall I say, 

 the probability of their true progenitor being this small and 

 equally-ancient Bos longifrons, or short-horned ox, which has 

 been proved to have existed in this country from the later 

 geologic periods down at least to the bustling times of busy 

 man. 



And in conclusion I have to return to my catalogue of 

 animal remains, and making a rapid descent in the scale of 

 animal life, allude to an ancient mollusc, which had been 

 prized then as now, as a delicacy for the table, and is the 

 last of these relics I have to notice, which were found with 

 the traces of the Roman occupation of this district ; I refer 

 to the Common Oyster, Ostrea edulis* of which this shell 

 (which I exhibit) and several others were found ; affording a 

 proof of the large size of this ancient shell-fish, as well as 

 of the fondness of the Roman epicure, even at this inland 

 station, for the celebrated oysters of our British seas. 



* My best thanks are due to my friend Mr Adam Smith, Darnick ; and to 

 Mr Francis Burnet, Ncwstead, for their zeal in procuring for me these various 

 specimens. 



