DIFFERENT BREEDS OF OXEN. 105 



amount of milk, and fattens rapidly when fed with that end 

 in view. The Kerry cow is of a black, or greyish colour, and 

 may be brindled, is a good supplier of milk, and a very remunera- 

 tive, hardy, and active little animal. The head is finely made and 

 of small dimensions, the eyes are bright, the horns short and 

 turned upwards. The body is rather round and long, the legs 

 are short, the hind quarters are light but high-boned, and the 

 animal is wide across the hips. The Kerry cow differs both 

 from the larger and the smaller longhorned Irish breed and 

 from the North Devon middlehorned cow by the cloddiness 

 about the shoulders, and the shortness and thickness of the 

 lower part of the neck. These cattle are usually small, and con- 

 fined to the hilly and moory grounds, or to the more restricted 

 area of the cottager and small farmer. This breed is composed 

 of cattle of considerable size in Connaught, and these are im- 

 proved in form as well as in weight. The horns are generally of 

 middle length and turn upwards, as also do the horns of the cattle 

 on the mountains ; but they are shorter in the leg, and shorter 

 in the body. Their loins and haunches are heavy and wide, the 

 hair is thick, the hide is mellow, and they thrive more quickly 

 than any other breed. 



The other breed is of a larger size, and composed of the 

 old or partially improved Craven, or Lancashire beasts, the 

 Longhorns. 



They very closely resemble the English longhorns, and have 

 been materially improved by having been crossed with them ; 

 but it is very difficult to say whether Ireland or England was 

 the native country of this breed. Thousands of Irish beasts 

 annually traverse almost every part of Great Britain, from Port 

 Patrick to the Thames, and it is quite possible tliat the English 

 longhorns sprung from some of the Irish ones which stopped 

 at different places in the course of their journey. 



Almost every county and barony of Ireland had its zealous 

 and successful improver of the native breed, until, in the richer 

 and more highly cultivated districts, the cattle became as large 

 and as perfect as any which the Midland districts of England 

 could produce. Possibly, however, there were two distinct 

 breeds of long-horned cattle. At any rate at the present time 

 there are two kinds of cattle in Ireland possessing quite diffe- 

 rent characters. The larger are greatly preferable to the smaller 



