134 
The Animal-Lore of Shakspeare’s Time . 
Dr. Giles Fletcher reports from Russia, 1588, that 
“the largest kinde of losh or buffe breedeth about 
Rostove, Wichida, Novogrod, Morum, and Perm. The 
lesser sort within the kingdome of Cazan ” (Halcluyt, 
yoI. i. p. 538). 
Andrew Boorde informs us in his Introduction to 
Knowledge, a cyclopaedia of miscellaneous information, 
that— 
“ the kyngdome of Boeme [Bohemia] is compassed aboute wyth 
great hygh mountaynes and great thyck wods, in the whyche wods 
he many wylde beastes; amongst al other beastes there be bugles , that 
be as bigge as an oxe; and there is a beast called a bovy, lyke a bugle, 
whyche is a vengeable beast.” (Page 133, ed. Furnivall, Early English 
Text Society, 1870.) 
The Zebu, or Indian Ox, is noticed by Marco Polo 
in his observations on Armenia, Turkey, and 
Persia. Of the last-named country he writes : 
“It hath also very great oxen, and all white, thin hayred with 
thicke blunt short homes, with a camels bunch on the backe, accus¬ 
tomed to beare great burthens. And when the packe-saddles are set 
upon the bunch, they bow the knee like camels, and having received 
the burthen rise againe, being so taught by men.” ( Purchas , vol. iii. 
P- 71.) 
The wild white cattle of Britain, at one time plentiful 
English northern counties of England and in 
Cattle. Scotland, are mentioned by Camden in his 
account of Scotland :— 
“ Caledon Forest,” he tells us, “ nourished in times past a number 
of white wild buls, with thicke manes in manner of lions, but in these 
daies few, and those very cruell, fierce, and so hatefull of mankind, 
that on a certaine time they abhorre whatsoever they had either 
handled or breathed upon: yea, they utterly skorne the forcible 
strength of dogges.” 
Of these cattle Topsell writes (p. 58) :— 
“ In the woods of Scotland there are bred white oxen, maned about 
the necke like a lyon, but in other parts like ordinary and common 
