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Show 648 MR. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE MAMMALS. [Julie 23, 78. Bos CHINENSIS. (South-China Cattle.) The small Yellow Cow of South China is a peculiar race, combining, as it seems to do, the characters of Bos indicus of India and Bos taurus of Europe. It has the head and dewlap in character with the former, with a small hump, the straight back, and hind quarters of the latter. Mr. Blyth maintains that it is a cross between the two; and this opinion may perhaps be borne out by the fact that the North-Chinese large cattle are certainly like our European ordinary breed. In the ' Taiwanfoo Gazetteer ' I read this passage under the head " Yellow Cow " : - " The neighbouring hills have this animal in Fig. 6. Bos chinensis. abundance. They are caught and tamed, and are trained for use in the ploughing of fields and drawing of carts;" and further on, " Formosa has an abundance of wild cattle, occurring in herds of hundreds and thousands. When it is desired to capture them, a wooden stockade is erected with four sides, in one of which is left a door. The cattle are driven towards it until they all enter, when the gate is shut on them and they are barred in and left to starve. They are afterwards by degrees haltered and bridled, and treated to fodder and beans, until they become not different from domestic cattle." Were these wild cattle indigenous to the island, or were they simply feral descendants of an introduced race? If the latter, who introduced them ? The Chinese, when they commenced to settle in Formosa, found enormous wild herds already there. The |
