BOVIDIE, a family of ruminating an imals, containing not merely the oxen, but many other animals now placed in i other families. It was subdivided into bovine, cervina, giraffina, moschlna, and cainelina; also, a family of ruminating animals, consisting of species with simply rounded horns, which are not twisted in a spiral manner. There are no lachrymal sinuses. It contains the genera bos, bison, bubalus, etc. Ovibos (musk ox), gen erally ranked under bovidx, is by some placed with the oyidx. The oldest known are various species of bos, hemibos, and amphibos in the Upper Miocene of India. The genera bos and bison are found in the Pliocene.
BOW, the name of one of the most ancient and universal weapons of offense. It is made of steel, wood, horn, or other elastic substance. The figure of the bow is nearly the same in all countries. The ancient Grecian bow was somewhat in the form of the letter E: in drawing it, the hand was brought back to the right breast, and not to the ear. The Scythian
bow was nearly semicircular. The long bow was the favorite national weapon in England. The battles of Crecy (1346), Poictiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415) were won by this weapon. It was made of yew, ash, etc., of the height of the archer, or about six feet long, the arrow being usually half the length of the bow. The arbalist, or cross bow, was a popu lar weapon with the Italians, and was introduced into England in the 13th century.
BOW, in music, an appliance with which the strings of certain musical in struments of the viol class are set in vibration. It consists of a number of long horse hairs stretched upon an elastic rod, which are tightened by a nut and screw. It was originally curved, whence its name. The old form is still seen in the rebeck or rebal of Algeria.