Book VII. VARIETIES OF THE BULL FAMILY. 957 



commonly called the Argyleshire breed {Jig. 645.), or the breed of the Isle of Skye, one 

 of the islands attached to the county of 

 Argyle. The cattle of the Hebrides are 

 called ki/loes, a name which is often applied 

 in the south to all the varieties of the High- 

 land cattle, not as a late writer [Dickson s 

 Practical Agriculture^ vol. ii. p. 1 1 24. ) has 

 imagined, from the district in Ayrshire called 

 Kyle, where very few of them are kept, but 

 from their crossing, in their progress to the 

 south, the kyloes or ferries in the mainland 

 and Western Islands, where these cattle are 

 found in the greatest perfection. {General 

 Rejmrt of Scotland^ vol. iii. p. 26.) 



6120. A bull of the Kyloe breed should be of a middle size, capable of bemg fattened 

 to fifty stone avoirdupois. His color should be black or dark brown, or reddish brown, 

 without any white or yellow spots. His head should be rather small, his muzzle fine, 

 his horns equable, not very thick, of a clear green and waxy tinge ; his general appear- 

 ance should combine agility, vivacity, and strength ; and his hair should be glossy, thick, 

 and vigorous, indicating a sound constitution and perfect health. For a bull of this 

 description, Macneil, of Colonsay, in 1812, refused 200 guineas; and for one of an in- 

 ferior sort he actually received 170/. sterling. Macdonald, of StafFa, bought one, nine 

 years old, at 100 guineas. {Report of the Hebrides^ p. 425.) 



6121. The lean weight of the best stock, from three to four years old, when they are commonly sold to 

 the south, is from twenty-six to thirty stone the four quarters ; but when brought to good pastures, 

 they can be easily raised to fifty stone and upwards. Tliere is, perhaps, no other breed whose weight 

 depends so much on feeding ; nor any that fattens and grows so much at the same time. They are 

 exceedingly hardy, easily maintained, speedily fattened on pastures where large animals could scarcely 

 subsist ; their beef is fine in the grain, and well marbled or intermixed with fat; and their milk is rich, 

 but small in quantity. 



6122. The other variety of Highland cattle is the Norlands, or North Highlanders, including 'the stocks 

 of the counties of Ross, Cromarty, Sutherland, Caithness, and parts adjacent Their hides are generally 

 coarse ; backs high and narrow ; ribs flat ; bones large ; and legs long and feeble for the, weight of the 

 chest ; and they are considered very slow feeders. But though this description be but too applicable to 

 the cattle of the greater part of that remote district, considerable improvement has been eflPected in many 

 imrts of it, by crossing with the Skye or Argyle breeds, within the last twenty years. 



6123. The cattle of Orkney and Zetland, are of a most diminutive size ; an ox weigh- 

 ing about sixty pounds a quarter, and a cow forty-five pounds. They are of all colors, 

 and their shapes are generally bad ; yet they give a quantity of excellent milk ; fatten 

 rapidly when put on good pastures ; and, in their own district, are considered strong, 

 hardy, and excellent workers, when well trained to the yoke, and so plentifully fed as 

 to enable them to support labor. 



6124. Of the Ffeshire cattle, Culley observes, " you would at first imagine them 

 distinct breed, from their upright white horns, being exceedingly light lyered and thin 

 thighed, but I am pretty clear it is only from their being more nearly allied to the 

 kyloes, and consequently less of the coarse kind of short horns in them." {Culley, p. 69.) 

 Notwithstanding this opinion, the cattle of the North-eastern counties of Scotland re- 

 quire, for every useful purpose, to be mentioned separately from the Highland herds; 

 and as all of them have a general resemblance, it will only be necessary in this place to 

 notice the Fife cattle in particular. There are various traditions about the origin of this 

 variety. It is said to have been much improved by English cows sent by Henry VII. 

 to his daughter, the consort of James IV. who usually resided at the palace of Falkland, 

 in that county ; and as there is some resemblance between the cattle of Fife and Cam- 

 bridgeshire, they are supposed to have been brought originally from the latter county. 

 Others ascribe the origin of the present breed to bulls and cows sent by James VI. 

 /"James I. of England), in payment of the money which his obliging neighbors in 

 Fife are said to have advanced for his equipment, when he went to take possession of the 

 English throne. {Rqmrt of Nairn and Moray, p. 305.) 



6125. Tlie prevailing color of the Fife cattle is black, though sometimes spotted or streaked with white, 

 and some of them are altogether grey. The horns are small, white, generally pretty erect, or at least 

 turned up at the points, bending rather forward, and not wide spread like the Lancashire long-horned 

 breed. The bone is small in proportion to the carcase ; the limbs clean, but short ; and the skin soft. 

 They are wide between the hook-bones ; the ribs narrow, wide set, and having a great curvature. They 

 fatten quickly, and fill up well at all the choice points ; are hardy, fleet, and travel well, and are excellent 

 for labor, both at plough and cart A good cow of this breed gives from eighteen to twenty-four 

 quarts of milk per day, yielding from seven to nine pounds of butter, and from ten to twelve pounds ot 

 cheese per week Ctwenty-four ounces to the pound) for some months after calving. {Fife Report, 

 p. 251. and 253.) 



6126. The cattle of Aberdeenshire, the largest of which are said to have been pro- 

 duced by crossing with -Fife bulls, have been long highly esteemed in the soutliern mar- 

 kets. It is observed, that every succeeding generation of them has encreased in size, 

 for the last thirty years ; and that the native breed has doubled its former weight since 



