204 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



work on " The Ox," following Youatt, commits similar blunders. 

 'No white is admissible, except, perhaps, on the udder or scrotum ; 

 any other markings of white obviously denote strange blood. 

 Even a white udder or scrotum is not to be admired, and is 

 exceptional. A coat of a brownish colour is not uncommon; 

 indeed, a brown tinge many breeders consider an indication of 

 aptitude to fatten, and as denoting rapid growth in their young 

 stock. I lean very decidedly to this opinion. It is necessary to 

 state, however, that this brown is of a peculiar hue, and the 

 slightest tendency to red must be emphatically condemned. 



The old white cattle are nearly becoming extinct in Wales. 

 It may not be uninteresting to record a late attempt to form a 

 lierd of these white cattle. I remember a neighbour of mine, 

 an English gentleman, who took a farm in Pembrokeshire (Mr. 

 Tebbitt, of Castlecenlas), collected a few white cows of the 

 old breed common in the country at one time, and, after 

 obtaining a white bull, continued for several years breeding 

 cattle of this character. The experiment was not long persisted 

 in, for he afterwards resorted to Shorthorn bulls, and crossed 

 his stock. But some of the white cattle he produced, especially 

 many of the cows, were remarkably fine. When he inherited a 

 great fortune from his London ancestors, he wisely enough 

 gave up farming in Wales. Of late years Lord Cawdor has 

 made a similar experiment, and has resuscitated a small but 

 unique herd representative of what is commonly supposed to be 

 the aboriginal breed of Britain. 



Li one instance only have I witnessed the appearance of 

 albinos in a herd of black Welsh cattle. They were a dun 

 fawn, with light eyes of a pinkish hue ; some of them were 

 very short-sighted — almost blind. These animals cropped up 

 in a herd of the purest blood in the country. They could all 

 be traced to be descendants of a certain black cow, likewise of 

 the purest strain. The albinos appeared in the herd with great 

 frequency. They were principally females, but the albino cows 

 gave birth to calves of the usual black colour. As their off- 

 spring was always black, it did not greatly interfere with the 

 course of breeding pure stock on the farm. It was, however, 

 very annoying to find the tribe that had the best blood in 

 the herd throwing albinos in every direction. The herd was 



