8 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER BOOK i. 



Powlett Orde, of Kilinorey House, Argyllshire. This stock (now 

 somewhat crossed) was originally at Blair Athol, Perthshire. In 1834 

 the herd was sold to the Marquis of Breadalbane, Taymouth, and to 

 the Duke of Buccleuch, Dalkeith. When the herd of the latter noble- 

 man was broken up, the late Sir John Orde purchased the only sur- 

 vivor, and transported it to Argyllshire. In 1886 the entire remainder 

 of the Kilmorey herd was transferred to Vaynol, and added to the 

 cattle already there. 



At Chillingham, Chartley, and Hamilton, the heads of the wild cattle 

 seem slightly larger in proportion to their bodies than those of ordinary 

 cattle, the feet larger and broader, and the legs stouter. May not 

 these be taken as indications of a certain amount of deterioration in 

 their size ? At Chillingham the cattle have a " fine-drawn " almost 

 " washed-out " appearance, which maybe considered the result of close 

 breeding, and the fact that more male than female calves are born is 

 probably the effect of the same cause. It is interesting that in the 

 semi- or wholly-domesticated herds at Vaynol, Somerford, and Wood- 

 bastwick the calves are extremely shy when first-born, and only become 

 accustomed to human beings by degrees. 



In the following abbreviated details the herds are taken in geogra- 

 phical order, from north to south : 



Hamilton (Cadzow). On August 22, 1887, the herd comprised six- 

 teen bulls and bull calves, and forty-four cows and heifers, the total 

 being sixty head against fifty-four at the beginning of the year. There 

 is a good deal of black on the fore legs in this herd, whilst the hoofs are 

 black, also tips of horns, roof of mouth, and circle round eyes ; black 

 calves are frequently born. In 1884, a bull, considered to be a High- 

 land bull, arrived from Kilmory ; he was marked precisely like the 

 Hamilton cattle, but one of his progeny was white all over, and another 

 was black, so the bull and all his stock were killed. The new blood 

 was introduced in consequence of a belief that the herd was deteri- 

 orating from too close breeding. In 1886 a bull was procured from 

 Chillingham, and perhaps greater interest attaches to the result of this 

 admixture of blood than to any other event of recent years in connec- 

 tion with the White Herds. The first two calves were born in March, 

 1887, and three others somewhat later. Of these, four were bull 

 calves and one was a heifer calf. Three of the bull calves took after their 

 sire in having brown ears, and were destroyed. The remaining bull 

 calf was described as beautifully marked, with black points after the 

 Hamilton pattern. In the heifer calf the ears were slightly tipped 

 with a few brown hairs. There is no certain evidence of fresh blood 

 having been previously introduced into this herd, however unlikely (as 

 pointed out by Storer) it may be that a small number of cattle could for "* 

 centuries have been continually bred only in-and-in, and still exist as 

 a herd. According to Storer, however, Sir John Orde was told that 

 one, if not two, Highland bulls bred in the herd some years ago. In 

 this herd the calves are all born in spring and early summer ; to ensure 

 this taking place the bulls are kept in a run apart from the cows during 

 most of the year. When grass is scanty, hay and turnips are given, 



