THE ATHOLL HERD 139 



cattle descended from the white cows have a greater pro- 

 portion than others of white hairs in their coats, among the 

 long as well as the short hairs. Two of the three animals, 

 a light dun and a light reddish-fawn, shown in Plate LXV., 

 are examples. The fawn one, that in the centre, had hair 

 in the lower part of the fringe of the ears 16 inches in length. 

 The colours that are in greatest favour are brindles, reds, and 

 light duns. Some of the various shades of red have a very 

 faint brindle through it, when looked at closely. Dark duns 

 are not in favour, being often short and deficient in hair. 

 The swan-white cows, with their black muzzles and black 

 fringes, none of which were albinos, are distinct from the 

 light creams, which are nearly white or at times smoky or 

 dun-white, with the muzzle smoke or dark flesh-coloured, 

 its depth of tint corresponding to that of the hair, but 

 with no black fringe. The cast of bullocks is annually sold 

 to Blair Drummond at six quarters old at about 12 a-piece, 

 rising, according to the markets, to 16. The second-prize 

 Highlander at Smithfield-Edinburgh fat-stock shows in 

 1904, weighing over 17 cwts. at four years old, was a white 

 bullock from Blair Drummond. Black, although not now in 

 favour, has been thought to indicate hardiness, but some of 

 the lighter-coloured animals with tendency to an orange tint 

 of skin feed better under forcing or artificial treatment. 



The calves that are allowed to follow their mothers and 

 are not handled or subjected to close contact with man 

 develop wild instincts and practices, but it is usual to shut 

 up those that are born before the grass comes, and let them 

 suck three times daily, so as to tame them by handling while 

 they are young and tractable. The cows do not excel as 

 producers of large quantities of milk, yielding not more than 

 one-third of that given by Ayrshires, although the quality 

 of milk and butter is excellent. When they are milked by 

 hand the flow of milk does not continue late in the season. 



The Highland breed had also an animal " that travelled," 

 like the famous White Shorthorn Heifer (p. 61). D. D. 

 Dixon's History of Upper Coquetdale records that a celebrated 

 West Kyloe ox, bred by Donald Campbell in Mull, and 

 fed by Robert Spearman, Rothbey Park, Northumberland, 

 was carried about in a large caravan, and exhibited at Kelso, 

 Berwick, and other border towns free of charge. When 



