DETECTIVE MILK MIRRORS. 191 



given below), has these thigh-ovals so large, they extend 

 down uniformly on each half of the udder, and embrace the 

 lower ovals on the udder. I think she is like some cows, 

 of which there are very few, that have four ovals ; and she is 

 so good that the thigh-oval dips down, joins the two upper 

 udder-ovals, and continues on down, and absorbs the two 

 lower udder-ovals. Her hide is the color of gold, and very 

 unctuous or oleaginous, and her frame is that of a model cow, 

 deep through, short-limbed. She gives sixteen quarts of 

 milk, so rich that the cream thickens on it like butter, and 

 can be taken off, and spread upon bread. 



IMPERFECTIONS. 



Besides these favorable marks, there are those which are 

 imperfections, denoting a decreased yield, a poorer quality, 

 or a shorter time for giving milk. As these must be learned 

 with the book in hand, in presence of the animal, we shall 

 not describe them here fully. The first and most important 

 imperfection is that of the escutcheon itself. Where the 

 escutcheon is irregular in shape in either class, not uniform 

 on both thighs, then a certain discount must be allowed in 

 proportion as it varies from the perfect one of its class. The 

 most prominent imperfections are those about the vulva 

 (which Guenon called epis, or tufts), and cuts or slices out 

 of the outlines or sides of the thigh-escutcheons. He says 

 the cause of these latter defects is, that the veins situated 

 beneath, on either side of the belly, have a peculiarity, — that 

 they are contracted, and there is a small opening for them 

 where they pierce the abdominal muscles. All imperfections 

 encroaching on the escutcheon diminish its value, and indi- 

 cate a decreased aptitude for yielding milk. These tufts are 

 classified into two kinds, — those on which the hair ascends, 

 and those on which it descends. Coarse hair on the udder 

 may certainly be considered a blemish or imperfection. 



Sometimes there is an intermingling of two forms of es- 

 cutcheons. This arises from the crossing of two animals 

 having different classes of escutcheons, and sometimes ren- 

 ders it difficult to tell in which class to place the animal. In 

 such cases, judge it by the class of escutcheon it the most 

 nearly resembles. 



