96 THE DISEASES AND DISOEDERS OP THE OX. 



The Scotch breeds of cattle next present themselves for brief 

 consideration. As a rule the Scotch cows yield only small 

 quantities of milk, though what they do supply is of excellent 

 quality, and when the cows are fed very well, the cream is of a 

 peculiarly rich quality, and makes excellent butter. Con- 

 sequently, it is not uncommon for dairy-farmers to introduce 

 into their herds one or two Highland or Kyloe cows with the 

 view of increasing the richness of the milk. These quaint and 

 semi-wild Scotch kine are now only occasionally brought to the 

 south to be fattened on the luxuriant pastures of England. This 

 practice was formerly a very general one ; but now-a-days the 

 Scotch pasture-land is far more carefully cultivated than wa& 

 formerly the case. 



Scotland contains several distinct and valuable breeds of 

 cattle coming under the denomination of middlehorns. The 

 West Highlanders have remained unchanged for many genera- 

 tions, or perhaps have slightly improved. The North High- 

 landers are smaller, coarser, and inferior animals, and most of 

 what is valuable about them is due to crossing with the Western 

 breed. 



The north-eastern cattle were derived from the cattle of the 

 West Highlands to which, though much larger than them, 

 they are still very similar. The Fife cattle are almost as 

 valuable for the dairy as for the grazier, and they are active and 

 docile. The cattle of the Ayrshire breed are surpassed by none 

 in reference to their capacity for milking. 



Again, many of the varied breeds of the Lowlands are 

 valuable. The Galloways, which scarcely a century ago were 

 middle-horned and only distinguishable from the West High- 

 landers with difficulty, are now polled, larger in size^ closely 

 similar to the Devons and endowed with all their aptitude to 

 fatten, and with a hardiness of constitution which the Devons 

 do not possess. 



Of the North Highland cattle we propose to give a brief 

 description of the Forfarshire or Angus breed. These cattle 

 may be horned or hornless. The horned oxen are generally 

 black; but some have white spots on the forehead, and are 

 white on the flanks and belly. Some are brindled, some dark 

 red, and others of a silvery yellow or dun colour. A few are 

 black with white hairs intermingled. Now and again a beast is 



