THE STOR Y OF THE JERSE Y HERD 27 



importing it when steamers were unknown, and the 

 usual means of access was by small cutters crossing a 

 dangerous sea, were all natural difficulties in the way of 

 such a result. Had the nucleus of the herd been 

 formed by some accidental deposit of cattle of marked 

 excellence on these Channel islets, their isolation would 

 doubtless have helped to preserve the breed pure. But 

 there is reason to believe that the Jersey cattle were, in 

 their origin, of the same kind as those on the neigh- 

 bouring mainland of Brittany. Mr. John Thornton, 

 the compiler of the ' English Herd-Book of Jersey 

 Cattle/ has some very interesting speculations on the 

 wider question of the descent of the small breed, 

 originally black and white, or black, to which they 

 have most affinity. This breed is noted as being best 

 known and most numerous in those parts of France 

 and the British Islands where the population is of 

 Celtic origin and Druidical remains are most common. 

 Such a race is found in Brittany, near Carnac, in Kerry, 

 and was formerly common in Cornwall. With these may 

 be compared the ancient British cattle kept in Badminton 

 Park ; and in Anglesea, ' that ancient and peculiar seat 

 of Druidical superstition,' Youatt noted that the old 

 breed of cattle was ' small and black.' On this Mr. 

 Thornton founds the very ingenious conclusion that ' if 

 the shorthorns represent the improved type of the " bos 

 urus," or wild white cattle of Chillingham, so the Jersey 



