214 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



heads and other remains of ancient oxen found in bogs in 

 Ireland, and these relics, he remarks, " are exceedingly curious 

 in an historical point of view, as they afford undeniable evidence 

 that, so far back as the eighth or tenth century at the latest, we 

 had in Ireland a breed of cattle which, for beauty of head and 

 shortness of horn, might vie with some of the best modem 

 improved races so much admired by stockmasters, and which 

 are now being re-introduced from England." The heads of 

 ancient oxen show that four breeds or races of cattle existed in 

 Ireland in early times. These, according to Sir William E. 

 Wilde, were " the straight-horned, the curved or middle-homed, 

 the short-horned, and the hornless, or Maol," or Moyle. 



Of the latter, living representatives may still occasionally be 

 met with in remote parts of the country ; but the Kerry breed, 

 which belongs to " the curved or middle-horned " race, must be 

 considered the sole modern representative of the ancient breeds 

 of Irish cattle. 



The Kerry cow is a handsome animal, and small in point of 

 size. The late Earl of Eglinton, when Lord Lieutenant of 

 Ireland, described the Kerry breed as " the thoroughbreds of 

 cattle." The points of the true Kerry are described as follows 

 in the " Eeview of Irish Agriculture," published in the Journal 

 of the Boyal Agricultural Society of England. *' The former," 

 that is, the true Kerry, "is a light, neat, active animal, with 

 fine and rather long limbs, narrow rump, fine small head, lively 

 projecting eye, full of fire and animation, with a fine white 

 cocked horn tipped with black, and in colour either black or red." 

 The woodcut of the Kerry cow given in Youatt on Cattle, while 

 correct in most points, gives the idea that the breed is of a roan 

 colour, which is never the case. 



We have used the term "true Kerry" on account of certain 

 crosses or sub- varieties which exist of the breed. The first of 

 these is the " Dexter," which, it is said, was introduced about 

 seventy years ago by a Mr. Dexter, who was land agent on Lord 

 Hawarden's estates. It is doubtful whether the " Dexter " 

 variety is the result of a cross with another breed or of selection. 

 If it arose from a cross, it is very difficult to say what breed 

 was used, and we are rather inclined to believe that the 

 " Dexter " variety originated in a selection of males and females 



