SELECTION OF BREEDING ANIMALS. 281 



not that it always goes with a strong, well-knit, 

 close-compacted frame. The head in its bony 

 frame-work is larger, the neck fuller and more 

 arching, the body more widely set on the front 

 legs than in the female ; and then over it all 

 plays the indescribable air, gay, aggressive, 

 vigorous, which appeals at once to the eye, 

 however hard it may be to portray with the 

 pen. Such a bull will not be likely to "lose 

 his personality" among the cows. Delicately- 

 shaped, undersized, and too neatly finished 

 bulls, and dull, stolid, inactive beasts are not 

 desirable to breed from, nor are great, rough, 

 coarse-boned bulls. 



Among those qualities which are reckoned 

 essential characteristics of the particular breed 

 the breeding bull should want none, or where 

 such excellence proves unattainable as few as 

 possible should be lacking, and those of the 

 smallest consideration. In most of our breeds 

 those qualities which are regarded as really es- 

 sential are few, and almost any animal that pre- 

 tends to merit can exhibit them all. The only 

 difficulty is to show them in a high degree of 

 development. So regular are many of the breeds 

 in reproduction that even this would be by no 

 means a difficult task if more breeders would pay 

 stricter attention to choosing bulls with a view 

 to the cows to which they are to be bred. This 

 often is quite important. A great rough bull put 



