The bones of the pig were both full-grown and young; the full-grown,
with the teeth worn, being apparently most abundant. They have
belonged to an animal of small size, similar probably to that whose
remains are found in other Ayrshire deposits.
The remains of the ox and the sheep I account more interesting on
account of variety among them.
_Ox._--Examining six portions of ox skull, I find one with the
horn-core represented by a mere nodule; two specimens each with a
portion of horn-core 2·8 inches in greatest diameter, one with a
horn-core 2·2 inches diameter at base, and two others with horn-cores
1·8 inches in greatest diameter at base, and one with a horn-core 1-1/2
inch diameter. All the horn-cores are fragmentary; but I judge that
none of the last three could have exceeded 5 inches in length, while
the first two must have been much longer. Only one of these specimens,
that with the smallest horn, has the suture above the occipital bone
open. The others must have been adult; and we may judge that we have
not to deal with mere aboriginal _Bos longifrons_, but with varieties
of ox. The variation seems not to have been confined to the horns.
Among a number of first phalanges the majority were slender and small,
but there was considerable variety; and one specimen, contrasting
strongly with the others by its stoutness, might have been from a small
modern specimen. All the hoof-bones which I collected, about half a
dozen, were very small. Three metacarpals were picked up, all measuring
about 7 inches long and 1 inch in breadth at the narrowest part of
the shaft; and these are all adult specimens. Two adult metatarsals
measure, the one 8 inches in length and the other only 7·3, while in
breadth they both measure only ·9 of an inch. A complete adult radius
measures only 9 inches in length. A lower end of a humerus is only 2·5
inches broad. Among six calcanea the largest measured 5·5 inches, and
the shortest 4·3. In one specimen the orbit is 2·4 inches diameter,
and in another 2·8 inches, which is decidedly large. On the whole,
the evidence is to the effect that while the prevalent variety had
small horns, and was generally diminutive and slender-limbed, there was
mixed with it a variety with larger horns and stouter limbs, whether of
greater height or not I cannot say.
_Sheep._--Only one portion of horn-core was found with portion of the
skull. The portion of horn-core is between 3 and 4 inches long, and at
the base its largest diameter is 1·5 inch, its smallest 1 inch. At its
inner margin starts at an angle of about 20° from the vertical plane;
while I should say that in modern sheep that angle is always 45° at
least. I apprehend that this is probably the so-called goat-horned
sheep, scarcely now to be got in Shetland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account