CHAP. i. HERDS OF WILD CATTLE. 13 



The origin of the Kilmory herd was, according to Storer, the purchase 

 by the late Sir John Orde, in 1838, of a bull, the only survivor of the 

 Duke of Buccleuch's (Dalkeith) section of the old Athol herd. This 

 bull was used with Kyloe (West Highland) cows, carefully selected. 

 After some years he was exchanged with one of Lord Breadalbane's 

 (Taymouth), and the latter was used with good results until 1852, 

 when a West Highland bull-calf was bought, and this sire was supposed 

 to have much improved the stock. No further crosses were made up 

 to 1879, since when the present Sir John Orde has effected crosses 

 with ordinary Highland, Ayrshire, and Indian cattle. The first- 

 named cross was the only one found desirable, the produce of certain 

 cows, that proved infertile with the wild bull, being very satisfactory 

 in everj'thing except colour ; the cattle show traces of their Kyloe 

 extraction. 



Blickling. In July, 1889, this herd numbered twenty-one head 

 four males and seventeen females. Mr. Storer says these cattle were in- 

 troduced from Gunton about the beginning of the present century, that 

 some years ago rinderpest killed off all but about three or four, and 

 that the herd has since then been somewhat made up and consequently 

 altered. The cattle are black pointed (muzzles, ears, and hoofs) ; 

 sometimes the points are red, and sometimes there is no colour 

 about them at all. They are frequently spotted like flea-bitten Arab 

 horses. Of six heifers born in 1889, two had black ears but no spots, 

 while one had red ears and another white ears. All calves with black 

 points are preserved. By the advice of Mr. Storer a cross was obtained 

 from Somerford, two young bulls being sent thence, one of which had 

 an incipient horn. There was another cross about 1882 with a cow 

 from Yorkshire, which in appearance was like the cows in the Blick- 

 ling herd ; it was out of a white Shorthorn by a black Galloway. No 

 horns have appeared among its descendants, though one cow always 

 throws black calves (which are never reared), and on some of the others 

 the black points have been more than usually pronounced. As soon as 

 the animals are adult, and are taken into the dahy herd, they no longer 

 range in the park, but are fed in meadows. The land is light, and 

 the animals receive cotton-cake all through the summer; in winter this 

 is supplemented by hay, but no roots are given. In cold weather they 

 are housed at night. 



WoodbastwicTf. In August, 1887, there was one bull, with twelve 

 cows, and about a dozen head of young stock. Originally all these cattle 

 had red ears and red muzzles. Latterly, however, from want of fresh 

 blood, it has been impossible to maintain the red points. A red 

 pointed bull, received in exchange from Somerford about 1879, proved 

 useless. Mr. Cator was therefore obliged to use a black-and-white 

 bull, sent from Somerford, which had (as was supposed) some black 

 Angus blood in him. The stock by this strain have nearly all had 

 black points, though some few have points of a dark chocolate colour. 

 This bull had a good deal of black on his back, and the calves at 

 first took after him, being in most cases more or less spotted with 

 black. As he got older, however, the calves took after the cows, and 



