346 THE OX. 



and other varieties of, the lower plains. Their general form 

 is light and graceful ; their skin is of an orange-yellow colour ; 

 and they are distinguished by having the hair of a bright 

 red, and by their eyes being surrounded by a ring of the 

 colour of the skin. The nose is likewise of the same colour, 

 and the inside of the ears is orange-red. Their horns are of 

 medium length, very fine, and bending upwards in the manner 

 of the Wild Cattle of the parks. Their skin is unctuous and 

 soft to the touch, and the hair is fine, and tending to curl, like 

 that of other cattle inhabiting a humid climate. The neck 

 is long, and the chest has little dewlap. The shoulders are 

 oblique, the hoofs and bones of the extremities are small, the 

 limbs are slender and long, the chest is only of moderate 

 width, the back is long, and the distance large between the 

 last asternal rib and the pelvis. These are the most marked 

 characteristics of the true Devon s, taking as the type of the 

 breed the variety proper to the elevated district of North 

 Devon. As we recede from this centre, the size and form 

 of the animals deviate more or less from the pure type. In 

 the countries of richer herbage they become enlarged in size, 

 and lose somewhat of the delicacy of shape which they ex- 

 hibit in their native pastures. They appear to be of that 

 variety of the ancient cattle which were valued for their 

 white colour, and the peculiarity of their red ears. 



The females of this race are small as compared with the 

 bulls and oxen, deficient in the power of yielding milk, and 

 tending to run soon dry. Nevertheless the milk is very rich 

 in cream, and of a fine yellow colour, on which account many 

 prefer the Devons, for the domestic dairy, to other races whose 

 milk is more abundant. The flesh of the cattle is juicy and 

 tender, and tolerably well mixed with the muscular parts. 

 The fat has a peculiarly yellow tinge, corresponding with the 

 colour of the integuments ; but this is not regarded as an 

 imperfection in those markets where the principal beef is the 

 Devon, and where the eye is reconciled to this peculiarity in 

 the colour of the fatty tissue. 



The Devon cattle are gentle, agile, and above all our races 



