Notes on the Crania of the Bos primigenius. Ill 
never seen a specimen of the bird before, although he had 
lived for many years in the district. 
The last bird Dr Smith had to notice was the Shore Lark, 
Alauda alpestris^ Linn. It is a bird of very rare occurrence, 
being apparently only an accidental straggler in this country ; 
in the north of Asia, Europe, and especially America, it 
abounds, and migrates southwards in the autumn to more 
temperate regions. The first specimen noticed in England 
was in 1830, and only one or two have been observed since. 
He had not been able to find any recorded as taken in Scotland. 
This bird was killed by Mr Evans, Tynefield, about the 10th 
of January last, near the mouth of the Tyne, and its plumage 
was unfortunately much destroyed by the shot. It is a fine old 
male, having the back brown ; tinted on the head, neck, and 
shoulders, of a rich vinaceous colour ; the streak over the eye, 
the forehead, and the ear-coverts, yellow; and with the lore 
and a gorget of black ; under parts dull white, and flanks pale 
reddish brown ; axillaries white. It is the property of Dr C. 
Nelson, Pitcox, near Dunbar, to whom it was presented. 
VIII. Notes on the Crania of the Urus (Bos primigenius) in the 
Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. By John 
Alexander Smith, M.D. 
Some years ago, when gathering up various details in refer- 
ence to the ancient small short-horned cattle of this country, 
my attention was also directed to the large cattle [Bos pri- 
migenius), and to the specimens of crania in the Museum of 
the Society of Antiquaries. I took various measurements of 
these crania, and searched the early records of the Society 
for such information in regard to the places where they were 
found, and any other details that might be of interest ; and 
as Mr Turner has favoured us this session with some details 
of the specimens of this great ox in the Anatomical Museum 
of the University, I have thought it might interest the mem- 
bers if I produced my old notes on the subject. 
There are three specimens of these crania of the Bos primi- 
genius in the Museum of the Society, marked Nos. 2, 4, and 
5 of the " Fossil Skulls," &c., in the printed Catalogue of the 
Museum, and the following table gives some of their measure- 
ments : — 
