I30 EVOLUTION OF BRITISH CATTLE 



but is of supreme interest otherwise, indicates that 

 the crosses between the small breed and the large 

 were intermediate hybrids. It is a communica- 

 tion to the authors of the '* History of Polled 

 Aberdeen or Angus Cattle,"^ from Mr. William 

 Forbes, an Aberdeenshire farmer, whose grand- 

 father was a farmer in Buchan (East Aberdeen- 

 shire), and bred polled cattle : — 



" The cattle in Buchan about half a century 

 ago and earlier might be said to have consisted 

 of horned and polled black cattle in about equal 

 proportions. The polled cattle were of two 

 classes, one large and another small. I knew 

 the small kind well. They were rather puny 

 creatures, always thin in flesh, and very badly 

 used. They were pre-eminently the crofter's 

 cow, as they were able to live through the winter 

 on the straw of oats and here, and water, if 

 necessary. Of the larger portion of the cattle, 

 about one-half were jet black, and often the 

 whole underline was white. They could not 

 stand starvation so well as the small polls, but 

 with better treatment they gave a heavier yield 

 of milk. A few were of a dull-red colour, but 

 they were not so high in favour as the brindled 

 cattle. The polled cattle were the dairy stock. 

 The butter they produced was very fine in 

 summer and autumn, but hard and white in 

 winter. The establishing of a beef trade with 



* Macdonald and Sinclair, published 1883, p. 72. 



