No. 9. 



The Sussex Ox. 



281 



THE 



The resemblance between the Sussex and the Devon oxen is great ; they betray the 

 same origin, and it is thought that formerly there were two distinct breeds, one large and 

 coarse, somewhat resembling the Hereford, the lighter race bearing about them marks of 

 the Devon. Mr. Ellman speaks of the Sussex ox, as having a small and well-formed 

 head; and this is true, when compared with many other breeds, or even with the Here- 

 ford ; but it is coarser than that of the pure Devon ; the horns also pushing more forward, 

 and then turning upwards, thin, tapering and long, yet not so as to confound them with 

 the Long-horns. The eye is full, large and mild ; the throat clean, and the neck, when 

 compared with either the Long or Short-horns, long and thin; yet evidently coarser than 

 that of the thorough-bred Devon. But the shoulder is the main point of difference ; and 

 here is the principal defect in the Sussex ox: there is more width and roundness on the 

 withers; it is a straighter line from the summit of the withers towards the back; there 

 is no projecting point of the shoulder when the animal is viewed from behind, but the 

 whole of the fore-quarter is thickly covered with flesh; giving too much weight to the 

 coarser and less profitable parts. This is unquestionably a defect, but it is counterbal- 

 anced by many admirable points ; for if there is more weight in front, the fore-legs are 

 wider apart, straighter, and more perpendicular than in the Devon, and they are placed 

 more under the body, rather than seeming to be attached to the sides : the fore-arm is 

 large and muscular, but the legs, although coarser than those of the Devon, are small and 

 fine downwards, and particularly below the fetlock. The barrel is round and deep, the 

 back straight; no rising spinal processes are to be seen, but rather a central depression; 

 and the line of the back, if at all broken, is only done so, by a lump of fat rising between 

 the hips. The belly and flank are capacious, with room before, for the heart and lungs to 

 prepare and circulate the blood, and space behind, in the capacious belly, for the full de- 

 velopement of all the organs of digestion ; yet the animal is well ribbed home ; the space 

 between the last rib and the hip-bone, is often very small, and there is no hanging heavi- 

 ness of the belly or flank : the loins are wide, the hip-bone does not rise high, nor is it 

 ragged externally, but large and well spread, and the space between the hips is well filled 

 up. The tail fine and thin, is set on lower than in the Devon, yet the rump is nearly as 

 straight, for the deficiency is supplied by a mass of flesh and fat, swelling above. The 

 hind-quarters are clean, and if the thighs appear straight without, there is plenty of 

 fulness within. The Sussex ox holds an intermediate place between the Hereford and 

 Devon in another point of view, seeing that he has all the strength of the first, with the 

 activity of the second ; and the propensity to fatten, and the beautiful fine-grained flesh 

 of both ; while experience has shown, that he possesses as many of the good qualities of 

 both, as can be combined in one frame. He is of a deep chesnut-red colour; some how- 

 ever, preferring a blood bay; while a deviation from these, indicates a stain in the blood. 



