176 FIELD AND FERN. 



show shape in the matron, was put in price at 90 gs. 

 to a gentleman at Battersea, but he chose three 

 others at .35 a-head, and Mr. M'Comhie has his 

 consolation. Zarah was bred by Mr. Collie of Ard- 

 gay, and so was Nourmahal, "the dusty haired cow/' 

 and the biggest of the bunch. It is very rarely 

 indeed that any owner can say that he won two first 

 and two second prizes in two classes; but Mr. 

 M'Combie has done more, as every one of his Bat- 

 tersea winners has had alive calf, to wit, three heifers 

 and one bull. 



In another meadow, Pride of Aberdeen by Hanton 

 formed one of five first-prize Highland Society's win- 

 ners, which showed side by side at Stirling for their 

 gold medium medals. She is better behind the shoul- 

 der, but in her thighs and on the top of the tail she is 

 inferior to her dam old Charlotte. Still youth would 

 be served, when Mr. Hugh Watson late of Keillor and 

 Mr. Graham of The Shawe, two of the finest judges 

 out, of Angus and Galloway stock, judged the pair at 

 Battersea. Charlotte is rising fourteen, and still 

 lacks a whole majority to rival Keillor Grannie. So 

 far she promises well, as there is no patchiuess about 

 her, and scarcely any other symptoms of age. Few 

 have been more tried, as she has had foot-and-mouth 

 twice, and lung disease once. Added to this, she 

 had a calf at two years old, and has never missed a 

 year since, but they have generally been bulls, one 

 of which, Defiance by Bob Boy, was sold to the 

 Drummen herd, which has had much local success 



