104 THE DISEASES AND DISOEDERS OF THE OX. 



sexes. These cattle are very docile, and it is even rare to find 

 a bull furious or troublesome. 



The cflttle of Dumfries are also polled. 



There have always been some polled cattle also in Angus. 



The Norfolk cattle and those of Suffolk are also polled. 



THE IRISH CATTLE AND THE LONGHORNS. 



Having now briefly considered both the middlehorns and the 

 polled cattle, we pass on next to a very cursory description of 

 the Irish cattle. Ireland is noted for the far-famed Kerry cow 

 as well as for other kinds of cattle ; and to some districts of 

 Ireland the English shorthorns have been brought, greatly to 

 the improvement of the herds previously present therein. There 

 are two distinct breeds of Irish cattle — namely, the middle- 

 horns and the longhorns. It is clear that the former of these 

 are an aboriginal breed. They occur on the mountains and in 

 the ruder parts of the country, being met with in almost every 

 district. They are small, light, wild, and active, animals. The 

 head is frequently small, but not small in the case of the cattle 

 of every district. Some Irish cattle have thick heads and necks. 

 As the name middlehorns leads us to infer, the horns of the 

 cattle so designated are shorter than those of the other breed. 

 They are also fine, some are somewhat upright, and after pro- 

 jecting forward they may in many cases turn backwards. Al- 

 though a little deficient in the hind quarters, these oxen are 

 high-boned, and wide over the hips; but the bone generally is 

 not heavy. The hair is coarse and long. In some places the 

 cattle are black, in others brindled, and in others black or 

 brindled with white faces. Some are finer in the bone and finer 

 in the neck, have a good eye and a sharp muzzle, and are very 

 active. 



They are very hardy animals, and may gain flesh even in the 

 winter time on their native mountains and moors. When taken 

 to a better climate and a more fertile soil,, they fatten with great 

 rapidity like the aboriginal cattle of Wales and the Highlands. 

 They are, as a rule, very good milkers, and may be even excel- 

 lent in this respect. When they have much of the Kerry blood 

 in them, they are very wild, and can leap even the highest fences 

 and the broadest ditches. 



The Kerry cow lives well almost everywhere, yields a great 



