ORIGIN OF THE NAME 205 



to be, that it was introduced (whether through crossing or 

 selection was not known) by one Dexter, an agent of Maude, 

 Lord Hawarden ; but a considerable amount of doubt 

 exists as to the accuracy of the statement. The author, 

 while travelling in Kerry some years ago, found that the 

 word " Dexter " was used in a generic sense with reference 

 to all diminutive animals, even men, if low-set and bandy- 

 legged ; and also that the term was in the first instance 

 applied to short-legged sheep kept by a resident coastguard 

 officer. Another possible origin is given by Wm. Hooper, in 

 an article in the Royal Agricultural Society of England Journal?- 

 1898, Vol. IX., p. 667, which says : " There were other cattle 

 in Kerry besides the little black cattle of the mountainous 

 districts, and the cattle of Cork and Limerick were within 

 easy reach. Among them were small deep-bodied cows, on 

 short legs, with heavy bags of milk ; such though even then 

 becoming rare were to be found in those parts within the 

 last forty years, and were known as 'old Irish cows.' These 

 crossed with a small Kerry bull would produce an animal 

 with all the essential characters of a modern Dexter." 



Probably the Dexter type originated, like Darwin's 

 Niata cattle (with hollow face and nose turned up, like a 

 small white Yorkshire pig), 2 as a freak of nature, and that 

 the first bull which showed the peculiarity of structure 

 was an intensely in-bred dwarf. In support of this possible 

 view we have the existence of the smaller specimens of the 

 breed, which have from time to time attracted public notice 

 at the leading shows, and the fact that the females often give 

 birth to monstrosities that do not live. 



The pioneers of Kerry introduction into England were 

 Sir Robert Peel, the Rev. J. C. Macdona, and James Robertson 

 of Malahide, near Dublin, father of the present owner, who 

 was largely instrumental in bringing the breed into pro- 

 minence by exhibiting good specimens of his own breeding 

 at the Royal Agricultural and the London Dairy shows. He 

 also carefully selected the young and undeveloped members 

 of the purest and best sorts to be found at the Killarney and 



1 See also R. A. Pringil's article on " Irish Agriculture," ibid., 1872. 



2 A small, very much in-bred herd of Niata cattle still survive 

 (1905) in Chili, although they are believed to have died out a few years ago 

 in Argentina. 



