TRANSACTIONS. 255 



light, tapering from the front to the shoulder and neck-vein, 

 with a gradual rise from the top of the shoulder to the 

 head. The length of the neck should be in proportion to 

 the other parts of the animal ; but this is a non-essential 

 point, though an apparently short neck would be preferred 

 to a long one, because it is generally well covered with the 

 neck-vein. A droop of the neck, from the top of the shoul- 

 der to the head, indicates a weakness of constitution, aris- 

 ing frequently from breeding too near akin. The legs be- 

 low the knee should be rather short than long, and clean 

 made. They should be placed where they [apparently bear 

 the weight of the body most easily, and should stand wide 

 asunder. The tail should be rather thick than otherwise, 

 as thickness indicates a strong spine and a good weigher. 

 It should be provided with a large tuft of long hair. 



The position of the flesh on the carcass is another great 

 consideration in judging of the ox, the flesh on the different 

 parts being of various qualities. Those parts called the 

 "spare-rib," "fore" and "middle ribs," "loins," and the 

 rump or " hook-bone," .are of the finest quality, and are gen- 

 erally used for roasts and steaks. Consequently, the ox 

 which carries the largest quantity of beef on these points is 

 the most valuable. Flesh of fine quality is actually of a 

 finer texture in the fibre than coarse flesh. It also contains 

 fat in the tissue between the fibres. This arrangement of 

 the fat and lean gives a richness and delicacy to the flesh. 

 The other parts, though not all the same quality, are used 

 for salting and making soups, and do not command so high 

 a price as the parts just described. 



A full twist lining the division between the hams, called 

 the "closing," with a thick layer of fat, a thick flank, and a 

 full neck-vein, are generally indicative of tallow in the inte- 

 rior of the carcass ; but it frequently happens that all these 

 symptoms of laying on internal fat fail. The disposition to 

 lay on internal fat altogether depends on the nature of the 

 individual constitution ; for it is often observed that those 



