114 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



skeleton of the head and flints of the horns of a large animal 

 dug out of a moss in the county of Galloway, similar in species 

 to the one described in page 72, paragr. ult., and nearly of the 

 same dimensions; the whole length of the front measuring 

 2 feet 2 inches ; two of the Denies molares remaining in the 

 upper jaw, each having one deep furrow in the middle, and 

 measuring on the under surface 1J inch the one way, and 

 f of an inch the other." No letter relating to this skull 

 seems to have been preserved, as, unfortunately, a gap occurs 

 in the letter-books at this period ; and from 'the same reason 

 we learn nothing of the last specimen presented, No. 3, except 

 what is stated in the Minute-book, July 9th, 1782, p. 220 : 

 — "There was presented from Thomas Scott of Hapsburn, 

 Esq., the skeleton of the head and flints of the horns of a large 

 animal similar in species to the one described in page 72, 

 par. ult., and in page 205, paragr. 4, and nearly of the, same 

 dimensions, but more entire than either ; the whole length of 

 the front measuring 2 feet 4 inches, four of the Dentes 

 molares remaining in each side of the upper jaw. of the same 

 size and shape with those in the head described in page 205/' 

 As far as I am aware, these are the earliest instances on 

 record of this large-sized ox being observed in Scotland, and 

 it is interesting to find the conclusions come to in regard to 

 them by the naturalists of this generation forestalled by a 

 small body of quiet students of the Antiquities and Natural 

 History of Scotland meeting in Edinburgh so early as 1781 ; 

 identifying these large cattle as being the same as the Urus, 

 the gigantic ox described as occurring on the continent of 

 Europe, by Julius Caesar, in his "De Bello Gallico." I need 

 scarcely. refer to the mistake made by the Minister of Selkirk 

 in his letter accompanying the first donation, that they were 

 the remains of cattle of what he calls the " last century." The 

 general opinion has been that they were extirpated in Britain 

 before the invasion of the Romans, as historians are altogether 

 silent on the subject of their existence. They had, however, 

 apparently abounded, at least in Scotland, probably at a some- 

 what more early period, which seems to be shown by another 

 part of Mr Robertson's letter, where he refers to various small 

 brass axes being found along with the numerous crania of 



