RINGS ON THE HORNS. 



81 



The most usual mode of forming an estimate of the 

 age of cattle is by an examination of the horn. At 

 three years old, as a general rule, the horns are per- 

 fectly smooth; after this, a ring appears near the root, 

 and annually afterward a new one is formed ; so that ; 

 by adding two years to the first ring, the age is calcu- 

 lated. This is a very uncertain mode of judging. The 

 rings are distinct only in the cow ; and it is well known 

 that if a heifer goes to bull when she is two years old, 

 or a little before or after that time, a change takes place 

 in the horn, and the first ring appears ; so that a real 

 three-year-old would carry the mark of a four-year-old. 



The rings on the horns of a bull are either not seen 

 until five, or they cannot be traced at all ; while in the 

 ox they do not appear till he is five years old, and then 

 are often very indistinct. In addition to this, it is by no 

 means an uncommon practice to file the horns, so as to 

 make them smooth, and to give the animal the appear- 

 ance of being much younger than it really is. This is, 

 therefore, an exceedingly fallacious guide, and we can- 

 not rely on it without being subject to imposition. 



Fig. 15. Teeth at birth. 



The surest indication of the 



Fig. 16. Second week. 



is given by the teeth 



