496 
VERTEBRATA. 
less involved in obscurity than that of the origin of varieties in the human race, we shall pass it 
by, giving to it only such incidental notices as the description of particular kinds of cattle may 
suggest. 
SKELETON OF A COW. 
We now proceed to describe the domestic species Bos taurus. Of the structure of this we need 
not give any elaborate description ; the engraving which we present will be all that is required 
in this respect. The male of the species, the Bull, is a powerful brute, conscious of his strength, 
and easily excited to a display of his rage. His pugnacity caused him formerly to be used for 
the pubhc sport of bull-baiting in England and other European countries ; in Spain, bull-fights 
are still the most relished of all the popular national spectacles. The Ox, sometimes called Bull- 
ock, is used for the plow and the cart or wagon, and sometimes also to carry burdens. Of all 
creatures, it seems to be the meekest, mildest, and most patient. The Cow is gentle and faithful, 
and alike the generous nurse of children and men. The various ways in which these creatures 
are useful to mankind are almost innumerable. Every part of the Ox is of value.* AVe eat his flesh, 
Bull, the Biso7itesjubati ofBoeiYims,; the WMte ZTriis of Colonel H. Smith; the OMllinffliam Bull of Gv&j ; the Wild 
or White Forest-Cmv and Bull of Low; the Wild Cattle of Bewick. Varieties of this species are known to the grazier 
by a large number of names ; som.e of these are generally recognized, and have characteristic types, as the Pembroke 
Bull, the West WigTilancL Bull, the Zetland Cow, the Kerry Cow, the Alderney Cow, the FifesTiire Cow, Long-Tiorned or 
Lancasliire Bull, the Englisli SJiort-Tiorn Cattle, the Short-liorn Ox, the Polled Suffolh Cow, the Sussex Ox, the Yorlcsliire 
Coiv. Among those recognized of foreign rearing we may mention the Eblstein or Dutch Bull, the Polish Bull, the 
Hungarian Bull, the South African Long-horned Cattle, Swiss Cattle, Alpine Cattle, the Syrian Ox, Moldavian Cattle, 
the Italian Campagna Bull, Spanish Bulls, Egyptian Cattle, the Laut of Africa — Bos humilis of Frisch, the Galla Ox 
— Bos Taurus Ahyssinicus of Gmelin, the Cattle of Peaiiby, the Cattle of Brazil, the Cattle of Chili, the Nata or Mata 
of Buenos Ayres, and the Falkland Islands Wild Cattle. — English Cyclopedia of Natural History. 
* It has been calculated that the number of domestic neat cattle in Europe is as follows : 
Great Britain and Ireland 8,000,000 Bavaria 2,000,000 
Sweden and Norway 3,000,000 Austria 10,000,000 
Russia 20,000,000 France 8,000,000 
Denmark 1,700,000 Spain 2,500,000 
Netherlands 2,-500,000 Portugal 650,000 
Prussia 4,500,000 Switzerland 800,000 
Saxony 350,000 Italy 3,500,000 
Hanover 800,000 Turkey 1,000,000 
Wurtemberg 700,000 
Baden 400,000 Total for Europe 71,400,000 
The number of domestic cattle in the United States is estimated at 22,000,000, thus exceeding the number in any 
European kingdom. The number for the whole world is calculated at 210,000,000. It is supposed that one-third of 
these are killed annually, so that we have about 70,000,000 of carcasses, weighing 28,000,000,000 pounds, 70,000,000 
of skins, 140,000,000 of horns, and 280,000,000 of feet annually, to be converted into beef, tallow, leather, combs, 
