27 
“ On the Origin of our Domestic Breeds of Cattle,” by 
Wm. Boyd Dawkins, F.RS. 
Mr. Boyd Dawkins then made some remarks on the 
origin of our domestic cattle. There are at the present time 
three well marked forms inhabiting Great Britain. 1. The 
hornless cattle, which have lost the horns which their 
ancestors possessed through the selection of the breeder. 
The polled Galloway cattle, for instance, are the result of 
the care taken by the grandfather of the present Earl of 
Selkirk, in only breeding from bulls with the shortest horns. 
The hornless is altogether an artificial form, and may be 
developed in any breed. 2. The Bos longifrons, or the 
small black or dark brown Welsh and Scotch cattle, which 
are remarkable for their short horns and the delicacy of 
their build. 3. The red and white variegated cattle, 
descended from the urus, and which have on the whole far 
larger horns. These two breed freely together, and conse- 
quently it is difficult to refer some strains to their exact 
parentage. 
The large domestic cattle of the urus type are represented 
in their ancient purity by the Chillingham wild oxen, as 
they are generally termed, but the exact agreement of their 
colour with that specified in the laws of Howel Dha proves 
that they are descended from an ancient domestic cream- 
coloured ox with red ears. The animal was introduced by 
the English invaders of Roman Britain, and was unknown 
in our country during the Roman occupation. 
The Bos longifrons, on the other hand, was the sole ox 
which was domestic in Britain during the Roman occupa- 
tion, and in the remote times out of the reach of history it 
was kept in herds by the users of bronze, and before that 
by the users of polished stone. This is proved conclusively 
by the accumulations of bones in the dwelling places and the 
tombs of those long-forgotten races of men. 
The present distribution of the two breeds agrees almost 
