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 IJ inch the one way, and 
I 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 Denies 
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 
