150 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



examining the cattle in different parts of our coun- 

 try, however, we discover traces of other and ear- 

 lier importations ; and now and then an animal 

 whose general configuration, and particularly his 

 horns, show that he has been derived from the Long 

 Horns, a breed of cattle once very celebrated, is met 

 -with. This breed of cattle has probably exercised 

 as much influence in modelling the type of what are 

 called our native breeds of cattle as any other, and 

 may therefore be worthy of notice ; though to the 

 cattle-breeder their principal interest is owmg to 

 changes they have experienced in the hands of 

 skilful dealers in England, the excellence to which 

 they arrived, and their sudden decline. 



What are termed the native Irish cattle, or the 

 Irish Long Horns, may be considered as furnishing 

 the most striking peculiarities of this breed ; though 

 in the district of Craven and part of Lancashire, this 

 breed of cattle has been noticed from the very earli- 

 est period. In the early breeds, " the horn frequently 

 projected nearly horizontally on either side ; but, as 

 the cattle improved, the horn assumed other direc- 

 tions ; it hung down so that the animal could scarce- 

 ly graze, or it curved so as to threaten to meet be- 

 fore the muzzle, and so also prevent the beast from 

 grazing ; or immediately under the jaw, so as to lock 

 the lower jaw ; or the points, presenting themselves 

 against the bones of the nose and face, threatened 

 to perforate them."* 



It is somewhat singular, that in every great im- 

 provement of any particular breed of animals, the 

 impulse is first given by, and the effect, in the re- 

 motest degree, can be traced back to, a single indi- 

 vidual. For half a century there has not been a 

 horse of note in England whose descent could not be 

 traced more or less directly from the Godolphin 

 Arabian. We have already spoken of the influence 



* British Cattle. 



