50 WILD WHITE CATTLE 



the close relationship of the West Highland breed to the 

 wild white cattle of the country. The Dalkeith section 



"consisted of six cows and two cow calves, one bull, and 

 five oxen. They were all white pure white and they had 

 all black muzzles ; but the black was confined to the muzzle 

 itself, and did not affect the skin around it, which bore hair. 

 The orbits of their eyes were black, and the hoofs black or 

 striped with black. The ears were generally tipped with 

 black, and in many there was also more or less black inside, 

 but in a few the black hairs on the ears were scarce, though 

 in none altogether wanting. Their horns had black points, and 

 were very sharp. Some had dark specks on the skin, which, 

 however, grew white hairs ; sometimes, however, calves 

 showed black hairs mixed with the white when new-born 

 and wet, but these did not show afterwards. They resembled 

 ordinary Highland cattle, being short-legged, straight-backed, 

 and having long silky hair." 



The breed was semi-domesticated at Dalkeith, as the 

 cows were kept in the house and milked, and the calves reared 

 by hand till they were turned out to grass, when they sucked 

 and milking ceased. The whole of the Dalkeith herd was 

 slaughtered in 1838, except one pure young Atholl bull 

 purchased by Sir J. Powlett Orde to found the Kilmory herd, 

 which was carried on for nearly fifty years. About half a 

 dozen pure white West Highland (Kyloe) cows with black 

 points, like wild cattle, were purchased and successfully 

 mated with the bull. Some years later he was exchanged 

 for Lord Breadalbane's bull, which also bred well in the 

 Kilmory herd till 1851 or 1852, although he failed to breed 

 with the too nearly related Breadalbane cows. A pure white 

 West Highland bull calf with black points followed the two 

 wild bulls which had been the sires of the herd for the first 

 fourteen years of its existence. He did much good, and 

 introduced into the herd more substantial hind quarters, as 

 well as the curly neck not an uncommon feature among 

 wild cattle. No black or coloured calf has appeared in 

 recent years. At first, after crossing began, there was a 

 tendency in some calves to have defective black points ; but 

 these calves were not kept for breeding. 



In 1878, nine 2^-year-old white heifers bred by Sir John 

 Orde were bought by Joe Brown of Hermitage, Dalbeattie, for 



