ON THE AYRSHIRE BREED OF CATTLE 131 



History of the Breed. 



Various theories have from time to time been promulgated 

 anent the origin of the Ayrshire breed of cattle. That it was 

 at the outset, in common witli other breeds, descended from the 

 wild cattle, which in bygone days were to be found roaming 

 at large throughout Britain, admits not of a doubt ; for it is 

 well known that the various circumstances of climate, soil, and 

 so on, have a wonderful tendency to change the form and 

 appearance of any species, whether of cattle, sheep, horses, or 

 other animals. 



In wild animals, a uniform figure and colour are generally 

 found to prevail, that is, when they have unrestricted freedom ; 

 but confine them to any particular district, and tliey begin to 

 assume certain characteristics quite peculiar to themselves, not 

 indeed to individual animals, but to those under the same 

 condition of life — characteristics conformable to the district 

 where they are confined. The longer this sequestration con- 

 tinues, the more marked and better defined will be the 

 features of which it is the principal cause, until, in the end, 

 they become inseparable from the breed by which they are 

 possessed. On this point a reasonable question might be put — 

 " Wliy tliis sequestration or retirement ? " It may be answered 

 in the following manner. Undomesticated animals often, quite 

 of their own accord, attach themselves to certain localities, 

 which they and their offspring cling to for successive generations 

 with pertinacious tenacity. Herdwick sheep, for example, 

 originally chose for their heath the mountains of Cumberland 

 and Westmoreland, after having saved themselves from a 

 stranded ship on the shores af the Solway Firth, and have at 

 length attained those characterisms which fit them well for the 

 position they have to occupy. 



It therefore seems most probable that a few descendants of 

 the ancient British breed originally settled down in the western 

 part of Scotland ; where in time their progeny acquired pro- 

 perties quite in accordance with storm and tempest, upland 

 moor and barren moss. Many of the peculiarities they then 

 possessed undoubtedly betokened wonderful milking capacities* 

 in the same way that several points of tlie unimproved short- 

 horn indicated a tendency to early maturity, or that the form 

 and general appearance of the West Highlander denoted extreme 

 hardihood. 



In the manner just described, it is believed that nature laid 

 tlie foundation of the most noted milking breed of the present 

 day. The wily Scots-farmer would probably soon find out the 

 existence of this important quality, and fperhaps strive to 

 improve it so far as his knowledge extended, or his means per- 



