38 WILD WHITE CATTLE 



follow, it joins the herd with its mother a practice which, 

 once a source of safety against predatory enemies in the 

 forest, is a danger to the young under existing conditions. 

 Superfluous males are castrated at three years, and shot like 

 old bulls at six or eight years old. 



The average weight of the cattle killed between 1 862 and 

 1889 was: for bulls, 560 Ibs. ; for cows, 420 Ibs. ; and for 

 steers, 570 Ibs. ; and the flesh was of specially fine flavour and 

 quality the lean muscle being mixed or marbled with fat. 

 The proportion of offal to carcase was remarkably small. 



The cattle are wild and timid, concealing themselves among 

 the elms and natural wood of the park, and they try to escape 

 from the presence of man when they find themselves under 

 observation. They are, however, extremely ferocious and 

 dangerous at close quarters and at bay. During winter, when 

 they are fed on natural hay which is conveyed to them in a 

 cart, the keepers can, under its protection, approach and 

 observe the animals closely. Their instincts are essentially 

 those of wild animals. Their keenness of scent and the 

 habit they possess of hiding their young for a few days after 

 birth are good illustrations of the fact. Domesticated cattle 

 which have recently been reclaimed from the wild condition, 

 such as West Highlanders and members of the South Wales 

 breed, have retained this instinctive habit for generations. 



The number of the pure herd has dwindled from 80 in 1838, 

 to 73 in 1890, 66 in 1892, and 58 in 1903-4. Probably one 

 reason why the breed still survives and maintains its 

 uniformity is that it was not, like other wild herds, seriously 

 reduced in number by the last rinderpest outbreak in 1866. 



Experiments in crossing some of the wild cattle with 

 pure-bred Shorthorns were begun in 1875. At first a wild 

 bull was mated with two high-bred Shorthorn heifers, but, 

 owing to the failure of the first female cross to breed, all 

 subsequent crossing has been between wild females and 

 Shorthorn bulls. A steer resulting from the latter union was 

 exhibited at Smithfield in 1888, and was placed third in a good 

 cross-bred class. He was sold at 65 when within six weeks 

 of four years old, his live-weight being 16 cwts. 2 qrs. 24 Ibs. ; 

 his dead -weight, 87 st 10 Ibs. ; loose tallow, 1 1 st. 4 Ibs. ; and 

 hide (very thin), 6 st. 4 Ibs. He received no food but grass 

 till within three or four months of the time he was exhibited. 



