186 THE OX TRIBE. 



BRITISH DOMESTIC CATTLE. 



IT does not come within the scope of the present work 

 to give the varieties of Domestic Cattle; for these the 

 reader is referred to the many excellent works already 

 published on the subject. It will be sufficient in this 

 place to notice a few interesting facts statistical, 

 anecdotal, &c. in relation to their domestic history. 



INFLUENCE OP COLOUR IN BREEDING. 



The following remarkable fact, respecting the colour of 

 the offspring being influenced by that of the external 

 objects surrounding the Cow at the time of copulation, is 

 stated by John Boswell, of Balmuto and Kingcaussie, in 

 an essay upon the breeding of Live Stock, communicated 

 to the Highland Society in 1825. He says: "One of 

 the most intelligent breeders I have ever met with in 

 Scotland, Mr. Mustard, an extensive farmer on Sir 

 James Carnegie's Estate in Angus, told me a singular 

 fact, with regard to what I have now stated. One of 

 his cows happened to come into season while pasturing 

 on a field which was bounded by that of one of his 

 neighbours, out of which field an Ox jumped, and went 

 with the Cow, until she was brought home to the Bull. 

 The Ox was white with black spots, and homed. 

 Mr. Mustard had not a horned beast in his possession, 

 nor one with any white on it. Nevertheless, the pro- 

 duce of the following spring was a black and white calf, 



