144 CATALOGUE OF THE MAMMALIA OF 
It is recorded by Hollingshed in his description of Britain, 
that the Romans preferred the cattle of Britain to those of 
Liguria; it is therefore scarcely probable that they would import 
these to supplant a race which they deemed superior, and if we 
take into consideration the difficulty of transporting large numbers 
of cattle with the naval resources of that day, we increase our 
doubts on the subject. 
Cesar also specially mentions the herds of cattle possessed 
by the Britains at the time of the Conquest, in a manner which 
clearly shows that he considered that they enhanced the value of 
the newly annexed territory. So much for the Indo- Roman 
origin of the Chillinghain cattle. 
Strong, direct evidence in favour of the truly wild and indi- 
genous origin of the Chillingham cattle is to be found in the 
wide distribution of a precisely similar race in this country, and 
in the unmistakeable testimony of history and tradition to the 
existence of such wild cattle at all periods of our history. 
The following enumeration of the places at which wild cattle 
possessing all the peculiarities of the Chillingham race are known 
to have existed within very recent times affords, we think, strong 
presumptive evidence of their pure descent from a common wild 7 
stock. 
To begin with the wild cattle of Scotland, Pennant says,* 
“ About two hundred and fifty years ago there was found in 
Scotland a wild race of cattle which were of a pure white colour, 
and had (if we may credit Boethius) manes like lions. I cannot 
but give credit to the relation, having seen in the woods of 
Drumlanrig and in the park belonging to Chillingham Castle 
herds of cattle probably derived from the savage breed. They 
have lost their manes, but retain their colour and fierceness. 
They are of middle size, long leg’d, with black muzzles and 
ears; their horns fine, with a bold and elegant bend. * * * 
The weight of the ox is thirty-eight stones, of the cow twenty- 
eight. * * * These cattle are as wild as any deer. * * * 
Frequent mention is made of our savage cattle by historians. 
One relates that Robert Bruce was saved by the intrepidity of 
* Pennant, British Zoology, I., 25. 
