CHAP, i. ABERDEEN-ANGUS CATTLE. 51 



Macdonald and Sinclair's " History of Polled Aberdeen or Angus 

 Cattle " : In general form a model polled animal differs considerably 

 from a model Shorthorn. Both should be lengthy, deep, wide, even, 

 proportionate and cylindrical. The polled animal, however, should be 

 more truly cylindrical in the body than the Shorthorn. Its points 

 should be more quickly rounded off; or, in other words, the frame of 

 the polled animal is not so fully drawn out to the square as that of the 

 Shorthorn. The admirers of the breed claim for it valuable natural 

 properties not found to an equal extent in any other breed : and they 

 fear that should the breed lose its characteristically natural appearance 

 it may also lose its superiority in those valuable properties " the 

 genuine article should always bear its trade-mark." Careful improvers 

 of the breed are specially particular as to the hind quarters. While 

 they aim at developing long, level, thick, deep quarters, they also strive to 

 retain the rounded appearance which was originally one of the dominant 

 characteristics of the breed. The head of the Polled male should not 

 be large, but should be handsome and neatly set on. The muzzle 

 should be fine ; the nostrils wide ; the distance from the nostrils to 

 the eyes of only moderate length ; the eyes mild, large and expressive ; 

 the poll high ; the ears of fair size, lively, and well covered with hair ; 

 the throat clean, with no development of skin and flesh beneath the 

 jaws, which should not be heavy ; the neck pretty long, clean, and 

 rising from the head to the shoulder-top and surmounted by a moderate 

 crest which contributes to masculine appearance a desirable point in 

 a bull. The neck should pass neatly and evenly into the body, with 

 full neck vein. The shoulder-blades should lie well backwards, fitting 

 neatly into the body, and not lying awkwardly outside it : they should 

 show no undue prominence on the shoulder-top, on the points, or at the 

 elbow. An upright shoulder in cattle is generally accompanied by a 

 light waist an important, and in all breeds a much too common defect. 

 The chest should be wide and deep, so as to give plenty of room for 

 lung-development. The bosom should stand well forward between the 

 forelegs, and underneath should be well covered with flesh and fat. 

 The crops should be full and level, with no falling-off behind them ; the 

 ribs well sprung, springing out barrel-like, and neatly joined to the 

 crops and loins ; the back level and broad ; the loins broad and strong ; 

 the hook-bones not too wide narrower than in an average Shorthorn ; 

 the quarters long, even, and rounded, with no hollow from the hooks to 

 the tail ; the tail should come neatly out of the body, not too far up the 

 back, and not higher at the root than the line of the back. A high tail- 

 head was to some extent characteristic of the ancient Polled breed, but 

 it is one of the defects that are being gradually removed by the more 

 scientific systems of breeding now pursued. 



Some good Polled cattle, too, have been found to show a development 

 of soft worthless flesh and fat on the rounds behind ; but that defect, 

 which is disliked very much, is also almost obliterated. The tail should 

 hang straight down, close to the body all the way till it comes near to 

 the level of the flank. On both sides of the tail the quarters should 

 turn away in a rounded manner, swelling out downwards, and 



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