THE KERRY BREED. 309 



V. THE KERRY BREED. 



The native breeds of Irish cattle may be divided into those 

 of the mountains, moors, and bogs, and those of the richer 

 plains, with intermixed breeds resulting from the union of 

 different races, foreign or native. The mountain breeds ap^ 

 proach to the characters of the ancient White Forest Breed, 

 in a sufficiently near degree to indicate a common descent 

 with the cattle of the mountains of Scotland and Wales, and 

 the high lands of Devon. 



Of the native breeds of Ireland, one very peculiar and 

 well denned is derived from the mountainous county of Kerry, 

 the most westerly land in Europe, and remarkable for the 

 humidity of its climate. The Kerry cattle of the mountains 

 are generally black, with a white ridge along the spine, a 

 character agreeing with the account which older writers have 

 given of the Uri of the woods of Poland. They have often 

 also a white streak upon the belly, but they are of various 

 colours, as black, brown, and mixed black and white, or black 

 and brown. Their horns are fine, long, and turned upward 

 at the points. Their skins are soft and unctuous, and of a 

 fine orange tone, which is visible about the eyes, the ears, 

 and the muzzle. Their eyes are lively and bright, and, 

 although their size is diminutive, their shape is good. 



These cattle are hardy, and capable of subsisting on scanty 

 fare. Although stunted in size when brought from the bogs 

 and barren pastures on which they are reared, they make a 

 wonderful advance in size, even though seven years old, when 

 supplied with suitable food. The fat of their beef is well 

 mixed with the muscular parts, or, in technical language, 

 marbled ; and they fatten well in the inside, a character 

 which renders them valuable to the butcher, and distinguishes 

 them in a remarkable degree from the Long-horned Breeds 

 of the lower country. 



But the peculiar value of the Kerry Breed is the adapta- 



