LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY G. BIGGS, 421, STRAND.
1851.
C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.
TO
WILLIAM YARRELL, Esq., F.L.S., F.Z.S.,
WHOSE SCIENTIFIC WORKS ON ZOOLOGY
PLACE HIM IN THE FIRST RANK OF NATURALISTS;
AND, MOREOVER,
WHOSE UNOSTENTATIOUS KINDNESS IN CONSULTING THE FEELINGS
AND ADVANCING THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS
IS RARELY EQUALLED,
This Volume is inscribed,
BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND AND ADMIRER,
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
The primary object of the present work, is to give as correct and comprehensive a view of the animals composing the Ox Tribe, as the present state of our knowledge will admit, accompanied by authentic figures of all the known species and the more remarkable varieties.
Although this genus (comprising all those Ruminants called Buffaloes, Bisons, and Oxen generally,) is as distinct and well characterised as any other genus in the animal kingdom, yet the facts which are at present known respecting the various species which compose it, are not sufficiently numerous to enable the naturalist to divide them into sub-genera. This is abundantly proved by the unsuccessful result of those attempts which have already been made to arrange them into minor groups. Nor can we wonder at this want of success, when we consider that even many of the species usually regarded as distinct are by no means clearly defined.
The second object, therefore, of this treatise, is (by bringing into juxta-position all the most important facts concerning the various individual specimens which have been described, and by adding several other facts of importance which have not hitherto been noticed,) to enable the naturalist to define, more correctly than has yet been done, the peculiarities of each species.