THE DEVONS. 



rather than upward toward the withers : for it diminishes the heaviness 

 before, and the comparative bulk of the coarser parts of tlie animal, 

 which is always a very great consideration. 



The loins should be wide, for they are the prime parts ; they 

 should extend far along the back : and although the belly should not 

 hang down, the flanks should be round and deep. The hips, without 

 being ragged, should be large ; round rather than wide, and present 

 ing, when handled, plenty of muscle and fat. The thighs should be 

 full and long, close together when viewed from behind, or have a 

 good twist, and the farther down they continue close the better. 

 The legs short, varying like other parts according to the destina- 

 tion of the animal ; but decidedly short, for there is an almost inse- 

 parable connection between length of leg and lightness of carcass, 

 and shortness of leg and propensity to fatten. The bones of the 

 legs, and they only, being taken as a sample of the bony structure of 

 the frame, generally, should be small, but not too small — small enough 

 for the well-known accompaniment, a propensity to fatten ; but not 

 so small as to indicate delicacy of constitution, and liability to disease. 



Last of all, the hide — the most important thing of all — thin, but 

 not so thin as to indicate that the animal can endure no hardship ; 

 movable, mellow, but not too loose, and particularly well covered 

 with fine long and soft hair. We shall enter more fully and satisfac- 

 torily into this subject in the proper place ; but this bird's-eye view 

 mav be useful. We return to the Devon cattle. 



DEVON BULL. 



