CHAPTEE XXI. 



THE GUERNSEY BREED OF CATTLE. 



By a native. 



EOM time immemorial the island of G-uernsey has 

 been famous for its breed of cattle, and a very just 

 reputation it is, for there are very few localities 

 in Europe, and certainly none in Her Majesty's 

 dominions, where a more jealous care has been observed to 

 prevent the mixture of foreign elements. Of course, the isolated 

 position of the island has greatly aided the inhabitants in their 

 endeavours ; in fact, we doubt if any but a locality so situated 

 could for so long a period have preserved a breed so intact. 

 The cattle are larger and more valued than even those of 

 Alderney, the name of which is so familiar throughout England. 

 They are exquisitely delicate in form ; colours varying from 

 light red to fawn and dun, with a few black, each generally 

 with white intermixed. The head is long and handsome, eye 

 large and prominent, horns gracefully formed. For flesh-giving 

 qualities they are profitable, and for dairy stock they are truly 

 excellent, yielding on the average (if properly fed and cared for) 

 lib. of the finest butter per day throughout the year. The size 

 is a fair average, and doubtless the breed would be much larger 

 were it not for the peculiar treatment they have ever been sub- 

 ject to. The two beautiful animals represented in our drawing 

 were Cloth of G-old, No. 1, and Portia, No. 2, the property of 

 the Eev. J. E. Watson, of La Favorita, G-uernsey, who has taken 

 great pains to improve the island breed during his residence in 

 that locality. The bull and cow carried the first prize at the 

 show of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England at Bedford. 



