148 ON THE WEST HIGHLAND BREED OF CATTLE. 



t^'pe, SO that a pure-bred North Highlander, if such can be 

 found, may justly be regarded as " a lonely straggler of a 

 vanishing race." 



Characteristics of the Breed. — Perhaps no cattle are possessed 

 of more distinctive and strongly-marked features than the West 

 Highlanders. The following marks or characteristics stamp the 

 genuine breed : — Their limbs are short, but muscular ; their chests 

 vide and deep ; their ribs well developed and finely arched, and 

 their backs as straight as in the pure-bred shorthorn ; their neck 

 and dewlap are somewhat coarse in the bull, but this is indicative 

 of its mountain state; their horns of good length, without approach- 

 ing to the coarseness" of the longhorns of the lower country, 

 spreading and tipped with black ; and all the other points are what 

 breeders call good. There is, indeed, much in the West High- 

 landers to arouse the attention and win the admiration of those 

 who love to see animals in an undomesticated state. The 

 beautiful and imposing colour of brindle, dun, cream, red, or 

 black ; the finely-arched ribs and level back ; the deep and 

 well-formed chest ; the splendid horn ; the lively, quick, and 

 fearless eye ; the broad muzzle ; and the shaggy coat, impart to 

 the Kyloes charms which are not to be found in any other 

 British breed. Their action, too, is of the most graceful kind. 

 Whether seen ascending their native rugged slopes, moving 

 about upon the market stance at Falkirk, or besporting them- 

 selves in the nobleman's park, there is a peculiar freedom of 

 motion which is quite foreign to all pampered breeds. Lovers 

 of the picturesque rarely meet with a more gratifying sight than 

 a mixed herd of Highlanders on a Scottish landscape — it is a 

 scene well worthy of the imitative pencil of the artist. The 

 farmers of the West Highlands wish to cultivate the black 

 colour as much as possible, as they think it indicative of 

 hardiness — hence the vast numbers of that colour. Altogether, 

 it may safely be said that there are few breeds of cattle which 

 are so graceful in form and colour, and so majestic in gait and 

 movement as a thoroughly well-bred Highland bull or ox, cow, 

 or heifer. 



Districts ichere found. — It has already been stated that there is 

 a difference between the JSTorth and West Highland cattle, although 

 both breeds are frequently spoken of in general terms as " black 

 cattle." The North Hiohlander has almost lost its distinctive 

 character l)y repeated crossings, while the pure Highlander is 

 now chiefly confined to the counties of Argyll, Inverness, Perth, 

 and Dumbarton, although there are, of course, solitary herds to 

 be found throughout both Scotland and England. For example, 

 at Greystoke Castle, in Cumberland, a standing herd, numbering 

 upwards of twenty breeding cattle, has been kept for many 

 years, having the range of a large park containing several 



