Wild Cattle of Chillingham Park. 2 79 



Their perfect symmetry, pure white colour, and fine crescent 

 horns, render them, when moving in a body, a very imposing 

 object. The eyes, eye-lashes, and tips of the horns alone are 

 black; the muzzle is brown, the inside of the ears red or brown, 

 and all the rest of the animal white. Even the bulls have no 

 manes, but only a little coarse hair upon the neck ; and they 

 fight for supremacy until a few of the most powerful subdue 

 the others, who afterwards submit to the rule of superior phy- 

 sical strength. If, by accident, a bull gets separated from the 

 herd for a day or two, his settled relation seems to be forgotten 5 

 for on his rejoining it a fight ensues, and the conflict continues 

 until the previous amicable understanding is re-established. 

 The cows generally commence breeding at three, and continue 

 to breed for a few years. When they calve, they hide their 

 young for a week or ten days, and repair to the place of con- 

 cealment two or three times a day for the purpose of suckling 

 them. Should any person happen to approach their hiding- 

 place the calves clap their heads close to the ground and lie 

 in form like a hare. The cows suckle their calves nine months. 

 The late Mr. Baily of Chillingham relates that he chanced 

 to find a hidden calf two days old, very lean and weak; but 

 on stroking its head, it got up, pawed two or three times like 

 an old bull, and bellowing loudly, retired a few steps, and then 

 bolted at him with all its force. The attack was repeated ; but 

 Mr. Baily, aware of its intention, moved aside, and it missed 

 him and fell with such force as to prevent its rising. Its cries 

 had however alarmed the whole herd, which came to its rescue, 

 and forced him to retreat. This fact affords a strong indica- 

 tion of the wildness of this breed being natural, and not the 

 superinduced result of solitude and seclusion. They bear the 

 winter well, but in severe weather will come into a fold to eat 

 hay, although they will not taste turnips. They are seldom 

 allowed to live more than 8 or 9 years, at which period they 

 begin to go back. When slaughtered the steers are usually 

 6 years old and weigh about 5 cwts. The beef is finely 

 marbled, but in taste scarcely distinguishable from that of the 

 domestic ox when fed on grass. By taking the calves at a 

 very early age and treating them gently, the present keeper 

 succeeded in domesticating an ox and a cow. They became 



