212 BRAHMIN (ZEBU) CATTLE. 



all over Florida and the coast regions of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, 

 Louisiana and Texas. In soiithern Texas especially, the Brahmin blood 

 has played an important part in improving the native stock, and its 

 value is attested by the constant demand for Brahmin grades from prac- 

 tical stockmen in the region named. 



For the imformation concerning Dr. Davis' importation of Brahmins 

 we are indebted to a valued friend, Mrs. Harriet Davis White daughter 

 of Dr. Davis, and now the charming wife of Major H. K. White, a 

 wealthy Brazos bottom planter, and member of the Texas House of 

 Representatives, residing in Bryan, Texas. We sincerely hope that 

 Mrs. White may be prevailed upon to prepare as she has been urged 

 to do what could not fail to be a most interesting account of her 

 father's life, especially that portion of it covering his three years so- 

 journ in Turkey, and his experience in importing and handling Brahmins 

 and other Asiatic stock. 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



They may be best described by calling attention to those peculiar 

 points which distinguish the grades even when as low as i-i6th of 

 Brahmin blood is present. The ears are long and drooping ; the horns, 

 in the thoroughbred, point upward and backward ; in the grades this 

 peculiarity is retained, but greatly modified. The dewlap is voluminous, 

 especially at the throttle ; the hips are rather narrow, and the rump 

 slopes rapidly from sacrum to the tail. The loose fold of skin at the 

 navel is remarkably developed, swinging from old males so as to almost 

 touch the ground : this latter may be called the distinguishing mark of a 

 Brahmin grade. We have seen a great many of these grade steers 

 some of them not having more than i-i6th of Brahmin blood, but every 

 one retained this peculiar mark. In the grade heifers or cows, it is not 

 so strongly marked, but even a novice would have no trouble in detect- 

 ing the Brahmin blood. The color of the thoroughbred Brahmin is a 

 sort of silver gray, with darker (iron gray) fore and hind quarters, and 

 a large percentage of the grades from native cows exhibit similar mark- 

 ings. 



As to the economic value of this breed for the Southwestern ranges, 

 we have already written. The great advantage they have over any 

 other breed capable of improving the so-called "native" Texan, lies in 

 the fact, that they acclimate with perfect safety. Their native home is 

 subject to about the same conditions (in concentrated form) as obtain 

 in the Gulf regions of the United States ; and a change to the latter 

 seems only to act as a sort of strong tonic, increasing the general vigor 

 and health. 



We cannot say that we admire them in fact an American ideal of 

 a thoroughbred bull is likely to be considerably shattered on first inspec- 



