SELECTION OF BREEDING ANIMALS. 295 



bull ever having an occasion to show temper. 

 It is not to be supposed that temper will break 

 out sporadically and totally unprovoked ; that 

 a bull is going to quit his quiet cud, which he 

 is placidly meditating upon under the shade 

 of some wide-branching tree on a fine sum- 

 mer's day, for the purpose of chasing a man 

 passing through his paddock for mere love of 

 mischief. It is only when he has learned by 

 hard experience that man is his enemy that 

 such things occur. In nearly all cases the 

 first outbreak is due to harsh and unwise 

 treatment, followed up by nervous, timid, and 

 consequently nearly always unreasoningly vio- 

 lent treatment, which gradually leads to a con- 

 stant state of open war. Another large class 

 of cases spring from accidents due to playful- 

 ness on the part of the bull and foolish negli- 

 gence on the part of his keeper. I remember 

 one particular case which well illustrates the 

 way these things come about. A young bull 

 about a year old was being led to the sale-ring 

 by a man who was not his usual keeper and 

 who did not know that the animal was very 

 playful, and had not sense enough to be careful 

 with a stout youngster whose disposition he 

 knew nothing about. He was in quite a hurry, 

 and started off holding the halter loosely by 

 the end and walking ahead of the bull, and 

 dragging him whenever he seemed inclined to 



