90 CATTLE. Chap. III. 



Usborn, about half the animals in some of the herds were 

 lead- or mouse-coloured, which elsewhere is an unusual tint. 

 These latter cattle, though generally inhabiting high land, 

 breed about a month earlier than the other cattle ; and this 

 circumstance would aid in keeping them distinct and in per- 

 petuating a peculiar colour. It is worth recalling to mind 

 that blue or lead-coloured marks have occasionally appeared 

 on the white cattle of Chillingham. So plainly different 

 were the colours of the wild herds in different parts of the 

 Falkland Islands, that in hunting them, as Admiral Sulivan 

 informs me, white spots in one district, and dark sj)ots in 

 another district, were always looked out for on the distant 

 hills. In the intermediate districts, intermediate colours 

 prevailed. Whatever the cause may be, this tendency in the 

 wild cattle of the Falkland Islands, which are all descended 

 from a few brought from La Plata, to break up into herds of 

 three different colours, is an interesting fact. 



Eeturning to the several British breeds, the conspicuous 

 difference in general appearance between Short-horns, Long- 

 horns (now rarely seen), Herefords, Highland cattle, Alder- 

 neys, &c, must be familiar to every one. A part of this 

 difference may be attributed to descent from primordially 

 distinct species ; but we may feel sure that there has been 

 a considerable amount of variation. Even during the Neo- 

 lithic period, the domestic cattle were to a certain extent 

 variable. Within recent times most of the breeds have been 

 modified by careful and methodical selection. How strongly 

 the characters thus acquired are inherited, may be inferred 

 from the prices realised by the improved breeds ; even at 

 the first sale of Colling's Short-horns, eleven bulls reached an 

 average of 214Z., and lately Short-hom bulls have been sold 

 for a thousand guineas, and have been exported to all quarters 

 of the world. 



Some constitutional differences may be here noticed. The 

 Short-horns arrive at maturity far earlier than the wilder 

 breeds, such as those of Wales or the Highlands. This fact 

 has been shown in an interesting manner by Mr. Simonds, 57 



57 'The Age of the Ox, Sheep, Pig,' &c, by Prof. James Simonds, published 

 by order of the Royal Agricult. Soc. 



