OXEN.

The widely distributed genus Bos, has horns in both sexes, and in it we

find the largest of the Ruminantia. They, generally speaking, have

comparatively short legs, and heavy massive bodies. The perfection of

domestic oxen is said to be a resemblance to a box set upon four posts;

but in some of the wilder species, an arched back is certainly a beauty.

Their foreheads are very wide, and mostly flat; their ears large, and

projecting from the sides of the head; their muzzle broad, destitute of

hair, and always moist. A long ridge passes across the top of the

forehead, from which proceed two horns, more or less curved, sometimes

of great length, always tapering to a point, and having a bony core.

Their neck is thick, and from it hangs a dewlap, which passes between

the fore legs. The hoofs are cleft.

Of the origin of these Ruminants we know absolutely nothing, for they

are spoken of as domesticated animals from the earliest times; and

although there are such things as wild tribes now existing, we are not

sure whether they were placed where they are with their present

characters, or whether all are modifications of one pair, according to

circumstances. The most conspicuous among them are the Zebu, the

Buffalo, the Bison, and the bulls of various parts of the Old World.

Those cattle which roam about in a free state in South America, New

Zealand, and Australia, have not very long escaped from the dominion of

man.

In India some of the heathen natives make a certain ox a sacred animal;

the Brahmins worship it; and it is a distinct variety from the common

working oxen, who are by no means treated kindly. The cherished sorts

are very sleek and tame, and even voluntarily go up to strangers who

have grass in their hands, and eat it from them. They are, however,

troublesome, as all pets are, and no one will dare to check them, for

they must not be struck. Near Calcutta, they often break into gardens,

put their noses into pastrycook's and fruiterer's shops, and have not

the least hesitation, when they are affronted, in going up to the

offenders and giving them a poke with their horns.

The Zebus are spread over India, China, the Archipelago, Madagascar, and

several parts of Africa. They are distinguished by a hump of fat between

their shoulders, and they are as good for the saddle as for draught.

They are more active and agile than we can imagine them to be,

accustomed as we are to the slow, heavy pace of others of the tribe;

they go with ease at the rate of six miles an hour, and travel for

fifteen or sixteen hours in the day. Their paces are very agreeable,

being wholly without the circular motion of the hind legs, which makes

ours so tiring to ride. They will go over a five-barred gate, as well as

the best hunter; are equally good for the plough, or for threshing corn,

and the white are the most esteemed.

The Gayal affords the richest milk, and prefers feeding on trees. It

also comes from India; it is gentle even in its wild state, and runs

away from, but never faces man.

The Gours are much more formidable than the preceding; and the Indians

say the tiger has no chance with them when full grown. They also eat

trees and grass, and will not live in captivity. They grow to an immense

size; their back is arched, and a very thick ridge rises upon it, which

subsides towards the tail.

The Yak has narrow nostrils, the ears small and pointed, the forehead

covered with black curling hair, that on the back is smooth, and of a

dark brown or black colour, with one white stripe on the withers, and

another on the croup. The shoulders, sides, inside of thighs, and under

part of the body, are covered with a mane of hair which almost reaches

the ground and is of a grizzled black with a central line of white along

the belly. The tail is a large mass of glossy, coarse hair; quite

white, and from eighteen to twenty inches long. The horns are small,

pointed, and curve forwards. The animal is said to be very wild and

mischievous; but it can be tamed. The tails were used by the Mongols and

Tartars as standards, and throughout the East are now fitted into ivory

handles, and form brushes for driving away the flies. The Yaks are

dull-looking animals, and make a low, grunting noise, causing them to be

known in Europe as the grunting cow. They are very useful when

domesticated, and yield an abundance of milk. Not many years ago, they

were objects of mystery, and those who travelled to collect the

curiosities of nature, were ordered to ascertain their attributes,

almost their existence, the tails alone having reached Europe.

Buffaloes are heavier and clumsier animals than the ox, and are covered

with coarser hair; they are very wild and savage, rush upon the tiger,

crush, and trample him to death. They delight in those steaming marshes

which are pestilential to other beings, and wallow in stagnant water.

Their hide is particularly tough, their flesh hard, and their milk

delicious. They are sometimes trained to be very useful, especially

where rivers are apt to be swollen; for they do not fear to breast any

torrent, however violent it may be in its course. They are spread over

India, China, and various parts of Africa, have been introduced into

Spain and Italy, and wherever they live, malaria is sure to exist. The

Cape Buffalo is said to be more than a match for the lion, who only

overcomes him by some cunning stratagem, or springs upon him when he is

drinking. If, however, others of the herd come to his assistance, the

lion is either vanquished, or obliged to decamp.

A herd consisting of seven wild buffaloes, with one calf, was discovered

in Hindustan, and four gentlemen proceeded to hunt them. After having

followed them for three miles, the young one separated from the herd and

joined some tame cattle belonging to a neighbouring village. It was

killed by the party, who afterwards continued the pursuit of the old

ones, and they were overtaken in a high grass jungle four miles further

off. They were quickly driven from this place, and closely followed for

more than six miles over a plain. At length the party succeeded in

separating one buffalo from the herd. Here the encounter began. After

receiving several wounds, he still continued his flight; he suddenly

halted, and kept his pursuers at bay; after a short interval he again

fled, was pursued, and wounded as before, carrying the spears sticking

in his back and sides for several hundred yards. Lieut. White of the

15th N. I., rode up very close to him, threw his spear, and wounded the

animal in the loins. His horse being much exhausted, was unable to wheel

round before the buffalo turned about and charged with such vigour,

that both horse and rider were overthrown, and lay many yards distant.

Fortunately the lieutenant received no injury, and when the animal

approached, he had the presence of mind to lie flat on his back. The

beast approached, but stood at his feet without offering any violence.

The other sportsmen called repeatedly to their companion to arise and

escape. For some time, however, he disregarded their advice, fearful of

the consequences. At length, in compliance with their entreaty, he

arose. The buffalo instantly rushed forward, but Mr. White escaped by

again throwing himself down; while the enraged beast, missing his aim,

fell on the ground, his horns grazing Mr. White's back, as he passed

over him. After this lucky escape, he seized the favourable opportunity,

and regained his horse. The buffalo then took refuge in a tank; and when

his former opponent joined his companions, who were standing on the

bank, the animal issued forth, and selecting Lieut. White for the object

of his vengeance, pursued him to a considerable distance. The buffalo

was now rendered quite furious, and attacked every thing within his

reach, such as cows and dogs. Unfortunately an old woman passed, and

became the victim of his rage; she was taken up without any appearance

of life, having her arms broken, and many wounds. The horsemen were too

fatigued to renew the attack, and the buffaloes, having gained a

victory, continued their course without further molestation. (Capt.

Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist.)

Mr. Pringle describes the Cape Buffalo to be "a very formidable and

powerful animal, considerably larger than the domestic ox; the bony pad

on his forehead making a complete helmet, and it is impossible to pierce

him with bullets which have not been hardened by tin. He is said to be

fierce, treacherous, and savage, and even when not provoked, will attack

any man who strays near his haunts; skulking in the jungle when he sees

then approach, and then suddenly rushing out upon them. If he kill a

man, he stands over him for some time, trampling on him with his hoofs,

crushing him with his knees, mangling him with his horns, and stripping

off his skin with his rough and prickly tongue. He goes away and returns

again and again, as if he could not sufficiently glut his vengeance.

"A party of boers had gone out to hunt a herd of buffaloes which were

grazing on a piece of marshy ground. As they could not get within shot

of the game without crossing part of the marsh which was not safe for

the horses, they agreed to leave them in charge of the Hottentots, and

advance on foot, thinking that if any of the buffaloes should turn upon

them, it would be easy to escape by retreating across the quagmire,

which, though passable for man, would not support the weight of a heavy

quadruped. They advanced accordingly, and, under covert of the bushes,

approached the game with such advantage, that the first volley brought

down three of the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded the great

bull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bellowing furiously. Thinking

him mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen issued from the

covert, and began reloading his musket as he advanced, to give him a

finishing shot. But no sooner did the infuriated animal see his foe in

front of him, than he sprang up and rushed headlong upon him. The man,

throwing down his heavy gun, fled towards the quagmire, but the beast

was so close upon him, that he despaired of escaping in that direction,

and turning suddenly round a clump of copse-wood, began to climb an old

mimosa tree which stood at one side of it. The raging beast, however,

was too quick for him. Bounding forward with a roar, which my informant

described as being one of the most frightful sounds he ever heard, he

caught the unfortunate man with his terrible horns, just as he had

nearly escaped his reach, and tossed him into the air with such force,

that the body fell dreadfully mangled into a cleft of the tree. The

buffalo ran round the tree once or twice, apparently looking for the

man, until weakened with loss of blood, he again sank on his knees. The

rest of the party, recovering from their confusion, then came up and

despatched him, though too late to save their comrade, whose body was

hanging in the tree quite dead."

The Aurochs is the European Bison, and is one of the largest and noblest

of the genus. He stands six feet high at the shoulders, has two sorts of

hair, one short, soft, and woolly, and the other long, rough, and

covering the upper part and sides of the head; the chest, neck and

shoulders, forming an enormous mane, sometimes a foot long. The tongue,

lips and palate have a bluish tint, the eyes are small, and piercing; an

odour resembling both musk and violets exudes from the skin, especially

that part which covers the convex forehead, and which may be smelt at a

distance of a hundred yards. Their flesh is much esteemed, they live in

thickets near swamps, come out at night to eat the bark of young trees,

lichens, and young shoots, carry their head low, are never completely

tamed, detest the common bull, and their only attachment to human beings

is bestowed on their keepers. They are now rare. A few are found in

Lithuanian Poland; but they used to inhabit all the European forests.

The American Bison, now familiarly called a Buffalo, exists in vast

herds in the prairies of the New World. A _mob_ of them, as a herd is

called, is irresistible; destroys everything over which it passes;

numbers hundreds of thousands, and rushes like a cataract over the

plains, with a noise resembling that of thunder. They are very dangerous

animals to attack, hence the sport they afford is more exciting. For

graphic pictures of it, I would advise my readers to peruse the pages of

Mr. Catlin. They delight in salt springs and morasses; the bulls

sometimes fight furiously with each other; their greatest enemy is the

grizzly bear, who frequently brings them down; and they have no antipathy

to the common ox, like their European brethren. Mr. Bryan shot one; and

the bullet passed completely through him, almost cutting his heart in

two, and yet he ran half a mile before he fell.

The Musk Oxen live in the high latitudes of North America, are very

small, but look larger than they are, from the quantity of long, woolly

hair with which they are covered, and which often reaches the ground.

Their flesh smells strongly of musk; and they are easily irritated. Some

stockings made from their long fleece, have been said to equal those

manufactured with silk.

The Chillingham Park Cattle are very handsome, being white with red

ears, and black muzzle; their horns are also white with black tips, and

greatly resemble our Devonshire breed, which is thought to approach

nearer than any other to the Welsh wild cattle of ancient times. They

are fleet, bold, and active, hide their calves for the first week after

they are born, and are at all times dangerous to approach.

Like the sheep, there are so many breeds of oxen in this country, that

the plan of my work cannot embrace them. They are a most important item

in the riches of England; and few are insensible to the merits of our

cheese and roast beef. We are not exactly on the same terms with our

oxen as the Swiss are with theirs, with whom they form a part of the

family, and where they are adorned with gay trappings and expensive

bells; but our cows are familiar friends, coming when they are called,

of themselves returning to the farm at milking time, and evincing great

affection. I have not seen it stated elsewhere; but I have been told

many times, that it is necessary to milk the cow always on the same

side, or she kicks and rebels. Our bulls are sometimes fierce, but are

much under the influence of voice and gesture. Both sexes will give

notice of approaching rain after a drought, and are very inquisitive.

Mr. Bell gives us the following anecdote which was witnessed by one of

his near relatives:--"A cow which was feeding tranquilly in a pasture,

the gate of which was open to the road, was much annoyed by a

mischievous boy, who amused himself by throwing stones at the peaceful

animal; who, after bearing with his impertinence for some time, at

length went up to him, hooked the end of her horn into his clothes, and

lifting him from the ground, carried him out of the field, and laid him

down in the road. She then calmly returned to her pasture, leaving him

quit with a severe fright and a torn garment."

In Mr. Byam's "Central America" I find this interesting history, with

which I conclude the present series of anecdotes:--"A bull had gored so

many cattle that he was lassoed, and his horns blunted at the tips, to

prevent further mischief. A few weeks after, a panther (jaguar) killed a

cow, and from the torn condition of the bull's head and neck, and the

trampled state of the ground, he had evidently done battle for the cow.

He was secured, his wounds plastered up, his horns made sharp again,

and turned out into the Savannah. The wild dogs and vultures having been

kept from the body of the cow during the day, the panther returned to

his feast at night, and a furious engagement took place between him and

the bull; for the former was found dead, close by the cow, the next

morning, pierced through and through. The bull returned again and again

to him with fury, and was himself again wounded; but his gashes were

sown up, and he remained so fierce, that his horns were obliged to be

re-blunted."