THE ANGUS-ABERDEEN CATTLE. 161 



Mains of Waterton, Ellon, a great authority, states that, 

 having devoted much attention to the subject, he found that 

 all the best blood traced back to three fountain heads — viz. 

 1st, Mr. Fullerton's Black Meg ; 2nd, the bull Panmure ; and 

 3rd, the Keillor Jocks. Mr. Fullerton's description of Black 

 Meg, which bred calves till close on twenty years, is as follows : 

 " She was low on her legs, but of lengthy and heavy build on 

 small bone. Her back was straight as a rush, and her tail so 

 well set that you could never tire to stand behind her and look 

 along her back. Then her hooks were so level, wide enough 

 and not too wide. Then her ears and eyes full and sticking 

 well out ; then her beautiful jaw and muzzle, with fine good- 

 natured expression of face, were such, and when taken as a 

 whole, why one could stand and look at Meg and not weary for 

 a whole hour as she chewed the cud." Mr. McCombie states 

 that he was indebted to Mr. Fullerton for his best stock of the 

 female Hne, and purchased at his sale the Queen, whose descen- 

 dants in the female line achieved extraordinary success in the 

 show yard. Space precludes more than the mention of Mr. 

 Eobert Scott's herd at Ballwyllo, Forfarshire, which was well- 

 known in the prize ring. Of Lord South esk's cattle at Kinnaird 

 Castle much might be said, but it must suffice to note that he 

 bred in 1857 Erica (843), by Cup Bearer (59). Sold in 1861 to 

 Sir Geo. Macpherson Grant for 50 guineas, and the foundress of 

 the most fashionable and highest priced family that has yet 

 been produced. Terrible havoc was made by rinderpest in most 

 of the leading herds in 1865, and nowhere were the losses more 

 severe than at Kinnaird Castle, where the herd was practically 

 destroyed. Coming down to present times, the place of honour 

 must be awarded to the BallindaUoch herd, which, though of 

 ancient date, was made notorious by the present Sir G. Mac- 

 pherson Grant, whose first purchase was the Erica cow in 1861. 

 Jilt (973) was bought soon afterwards from Tillyfour ; then 

 Sybil from Castle Eraser, and valuable members of the Pride 

 tribe ; and mainly from these foundations the herd has been 

 built up, which has for many years occupied as foremost a place 

 as the Warlaby cattle amongst Shorthorns. Great care has 

 been exercised in the selection of bulls. Out of a host of 

 celebrities we may name the Tillyfour bred Trojan (402), 



M 



