568 THE HOME, FARM AND BUSINESS CYCLOPAEDIA. 



lying completely on a level with the pin, or huckles, which lie wide and 

 open ; the hind quarters seated high with flesh, leaving a fine hair-ham 

 tapering from the hock to the fetlock ; long from rump to huckle, and 

 from the pinion of the shoulder to the end of the nose; thin loose skin, 

 covered with hair of a soft and furry nature, inclined to curl whenever the 

 animal is in good condition and in full coat, when it also becomes mottled 

 with darker shades of its permanent colour, which is that of a bright blood 

 red, without white or other spots, particularly on the male; a white udder 

 is sometimes passed over, but seldom without objection." 



This description may be considered as a summary of the perfections 

 as to the exterior appearance of the animal : what, under the same head, 

 may be regarded as defects, appear first in the sudden retiring of the rump 

 from behind the huckle to a narrow point backwards ; the great space 

 between the huckle and first rib ; the smallness of the angle inwards at 

 which the ribs appear to be projected from the spine or back-bone, often 

 giving the appearance of a flat-sided animal, and in its being so much 

 tucked up in the girth as to show an awkward cavity between the keel 

 and navel, the line of which, it is presumed, should always be found to 

 hold a position as nearly as possible parallel with that of the back from 

 the withers to the loin. The animal is, however, generally well grown, 

 and filled up behind the shoulder. 



THE NORFOLK POLL, OK NORFOLK RED POLL. 



The Norfolk Polled Breed, known as the " Norfolk Red Poll," is by 

 some held to be the original breed of that county ; by others to be the re- 

 sult of crossing with the polled Galloway cattle, large numbers of which, 

 at a very early period in the history of the county, were imported into it. 

 It would appear, however, from records recently disentombed from amidst 

 the many connected with the county, that there was a true native breed 

 or race of cattle having some of the peculiarities of the present breed. 

 This original or county breed, if so it was, had, as the favourite colour, a 

 deep blood-red, for the body, with a white or mottled face. They, how- 

 ever, had horns, but these were small, or at least middle-sized, and clean cut. 

 The body was small-boned, but with good round barrel, set on short legs 

 " well loined and thin thighed." The head was fine. This breed were good 

 fatteners, taking on meat evenly, and finishing off at three years as freely 

 as other breeds at four and five. They were hardy and were favourites 

 with the grazier and the butcher. The present breed possesses, no doubt, 

 the peculiarities of the Galloway, with which at an early period it was 



