The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-05
AuRoCHs AND BISON.
Strange European Cattle. Vow Vir-
tuaIIy Extinct.

tuaDy ENttnct.
DR. Nehrins's recent description OF
horn of the aurochs, or urus, discovered
In a Pomeran,an peat bog, has again at
tracted attention TO a form OF big game
which, since history began, has disap-
peared before the hunter. Popular report
often confuses two species of wild cattle
the one called In science Bos primigenius.
and the other the European bison. Their
remains are found under similar circum-
stances in caverns and various superficial
deposits, the bison also occurring In the
forest bed OF Norfolk. and having, there
fore, reached this part OF Europe before
the so-called glacial epoch began. But
while the aurochs Is extinct, the bison
survives. leading protected existence In
certain forests OF IIthuania, but being
really wild in the Caucasus. Once. how
ever. IL roamed over Europe and In Asia
extended as far as Siberia, while its bones
have been found In the frozen soil or
Escholts bay. in Alaska
These animals were not uncommon In
Central Europe In the Sixteenth century,
and about that time were regarded as
royal game In Poland. not less than sixty
being killed in one great hunt so late as
1864. Even then, however, they appear 20
have been restricted to Lithuania, where.
as we have said, they still survive, though
In greatly diminished numbers. Bison Bo-
nassue or Europaeus bears general re-
senblance to, but IL specifically different
from, his American cousin, named after
that continent, which also has almost dis
appeared from the earth during the last
City or sixty years. The American beast
wandered over the prairies, while the
European species Is a lover of the forest.
But the aurochs. or urus, was n very DIFF
ferent creature, and must have been not
very unlike one of the long-horned oxen
which may be seen today In the iowiands
at Va. md 10 In
beast; its horns had a slight double cur
Nature. and attained to a great length,
for skulls have been found In which the
hany cores measure forty-two inches from
tip to tip. That as Mr. Lydekker states
in the pages OF THE Royal Natural His
tory" would mean that tho points OF the
sheaths, the horns proper must have been
rather over four fest apart. and a greater
length than this was sometimes attained.
They appear 10 have been occasionally
used as drinking cups, and such horn
Of ale" would not be quickly drained.
The aurochs Is related to certain Asiatic
forms Of oxen, and makes its appearance
In Europe, II not at the same epoch, only
less widely spread, for II wandered az
far north as Scandinavia and Russia and
southwark TO Italy, Greece and even Al
geria. II has been found in Palestine.
where some writer's have identified It
with the reem or unicorn OF the Author
ICED Version; but how far eastward Il
extended has not vet been ascertsined It's
remains. especially in caves. are associat-
a little later than the bison, but was not
ed with the wild horse, the brown and
the grizzly bears the lion. the spotted
hyena. two species both OF rhinoceros and
OF elephant and a number of other ami
mails. some still living In Europe. Such
as were good for food man hunted such
as were eaters Of flesh, perhaps, sorne-
49,, t.l \ sx.ftk
nothing better than rudeiy ehipped spear
heads. must have often Jared badly when
the lion vas roaring after his prey. and at
first the struggle for existence he,weea
man and the wild boasts must have been
protracted and severe But that ne could
stay the surochs We learn from remains
found at Lauserie Basss. These cave men
Of Central France. though they were not
So far advanced In mechanical arts as To
smooth their weapons Of stnne. could
carve bones or anilers into shapes Of an
imais, or lncise on them outline sketches,
rude. but fairly accurate. One such shows
an aurochs quietly feeding. while hunt
err. who has erept up behind him. Is Just
throwing the spear. The form Of the horns
was also knOwn Is proved by an equally
characteristic sketch Of two heads on
second carving On the other side OF I,
a hunter Ia attacking a Wild horse.
Some 81 the big game which these early
races OF men hunted apparently vanished
from Europe almost simultaneously with
on earth they are now represented, unless
them. for what was their fate ard whore
BY the Esklmos We cannot tell The next
race. at any rate. the ueOlithie folk. as
they are now called. whose weapons and
tools. made after more elaborate patterns,
are often polished seem 10 have come az
corqusrcrs Perhaps the newcomers FORE
a.
inc0rvenisnt racial questions. so As Tac-
ifaus says. they made a solitude and
called " peace" But with the older RAGS
several 81 the larser wild animals dis
appeared AZ any rate from the British
isles. II rot from NoFtAwestern Europe
tao mammoth and the wpoJfy rhlnocerus
the hippopotafn1s, the sabcr-t 05thnl uger
which hs1 already become extremely rare
= not extinct. perhaps. also. the Ion and
hysuA
They may have disappeared from our isi-
lands because general shaking Of the
land replaced many broad. graasy OF tree
clad plains with shallow seas. and com
pletsd the severance o. Britain from the
continent This change and the incoming
% a better armed and more cunning race
% hunters uaay have turned the scale dis
;inctiy ia mans favor Suu some b.E
game remained, for she Britain q that
agv was very Different from that watch
We tnhRhlL No towns. only scattered vii
ages large districts Of forest and marsh
land, such rs we're the aackWo0ds q Caa-
sta- and stil are some parts u Central
Africa Here Wild sniEsals found ample
pFotsctiea. and had no more To dread from
man than from the wolf or the lyuK- SO
the reindeer remained. at Aay rate IN the
north perhaps. also. the so-called fr.sh
elk. together With the bison an4 tho
aurochs. Some thiFty years ago q skull
OF the latter was dug out % a Cambridge
shire fen. and IN II q stone AZ was found
imaedded IN the forehead. II MAS broken
on short. apparently snapped % striking
against the hony orbit 81 The eve, az IL
the animal had been struck By a Glow de-
Eyesea from one side-Log4oa Standard