OXEN. 
163 
Domestication. 
Park-Cattle. 
indicate that the range of the animal extended as far southwards as Greece. Bones 
of the aurochs have been obtained from England and Scotland, but are unknown 
in Ireland. On the continent they occur in France, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia, 
Germany, and Austria; while it may be taken as certain that the species roamed 
over Russia, although its exact eastern and northern limits are not ascertained. 
Southwards the aurochs ranged as far as Algeria. 
The mention of a white aurochs, which may, however, have been a tamed 
individual, in one of the chronicles referred to above, coupled with the coloration 
of the Chillingham cattle, renders it probable that the colour of the aurochs was 
white, more or less mingled with dun and red; this inference being confirmed by 
the prevalence of these colours in so many of our domestic breeds of cattle. 
It is probable that the aurochs was the direct ancestor of our 
largest breeds of domestic cattle. At a very early period (although 
later than the epoch of the brick-earths, when the aurochs first existed) the in¬ 
habitants of Europe had succeeded in domesticating a small variety of ox, known 
as the long-fronted ox (Bos longifrons), from which it is considered probable that 
the small Welsh and Highland breeds of cattle are descended. If, however, we are 
right in our view that the whole of the cattle of Europe belong to one species, it is 
evident that the long-fronted ox itself must likewise have been originally derived 
from the aurochs. 
Having said thus much as to the extinct wild cattle of Europe, 
we proceed to notice the half-wild races preserved in certain English 
and Scottish parks, after which we shall pass on to the consideration of the chief 
domestic breeds. It may be premised that while several of the former are probably 
much closer to the aurochs than are any of the latter, there seems but little 
doubt that in all cases these half-wild cattle are descended from more or less 
completely domesticated early breeds, and are not directly derived from the wild 
aurochs. The British park-cattle, when pure bred, are white in colour, with the 
exception of the ears and muzzle, and sometimes the front of the legs, which may be 
either red or black ; the horns being white with black tips. In size these cattle are 
small; but their proportions arc well-nigh perfect, their heads being small, their 
backs straight, and their legs short. According to Mr. J. E. Harting, herds of 
these cattle were formerly kept at all of the following parks, viz., Auchencruive 
(in Ayrshire), Barnard Castle (Durham), Bishop Auckland (Durham), Blair Athol 
(Perthshire), Burton Constable (Yorkshire), Cadzow Castle (Lanarkshire), Chartley 
Park (Staffordshire), Chillingham Castle (Northumberland), Ewelme Park (Oxford¬ 
shire), Gisburne Park (Yorkshire), Hoghton Tower (Lancashire), Holdenby Park 
(Northamptonshire), Kilmory House (Argyleshire), Leigh Court (Somersetshire), 
Lyme Park (Cheshire), Middleton Park (Lancashire), Naworth Castle (Cumber¬ 
land), Somerford Park (Cheshire), Whalley Abbey (Lancashire), and Wollaton 
Park (Nottinghamshire). Of these numerous herds the only ones now remaining 
are those at Cadzow, Chartley, Chillingham, Kilmory, Lyme, and Somerford. 
Chillingham The best known of all is the famous Chillingham herd. There is 
Cattle. some doubt as to the date of the enclosure of Chillingham Park, 
which, however, very probably took place early in the thirteenth century; and 
there is undoubted evidence of the existence of the herd rather more than two 
