354 FIELD AND FERN. 



that a cow should in point of condition, and, better 

 still, safe in calf again to Fashion. May Morn 

 has made no way since Battersea ; even*a Highland 

 bull had been in vain, and she was under orders for 

 the shambles at last. Once she was not in season for 

 six weeks, but generally on every llth or 21st day. 

 It turned out that there was an internal malformation, 

 which rendered breeding impossible, and so the over- 

 feeding hypothesis falls to the ground. White prize 

 heifers seem quite unlucky in Scotland, as May 

 Morn, Clarionet, Venus de Medicis, and Lady 

 Windsor were all under this ban together. La Val* 

 Here had just had a heifer calf in her old age, 

 and one of the sweetest heads that was ever put on 

 calf belonged to her young Scottish Chief by Raven- 

 spur. It haunted us as we retraced our steps to the 

 Drymen station, and long after we had taken the boat 

 at Dumbarton for Greenock, and were fairly booked 

 for Skye by the " Deep Sea Sailings/' 



" The Drum" was up at Greenock, but it was no 

 prophet for the West Coast ; and the captain bade as 

 be of good cheer, and take our rest round the Mull 

 of Kintyre. There was no tossing save in dreams ; 

 and the white crescents of Oban, dear to tourists and 

 college reading parties, greeted us when the breakfast- 

 bell rung next morning. 



Cheddar cheese was the burden of the song, 

 when we asked about Coll and Kintyre. There 

 was no cheese-making in the latter previous 

 to 1831. It then became so certain that the soil did 



