544 THE COMMON OX. 



way through all the intricacies and impediments of London, 

 and travelled twelve miles to return to her calf which had 

 been left in the yard. 



A few years ago, I witnessed an instance of a cow displaying 

 extraordinary sympathy towards another cow which had just 

 calved in a dry ditch, in a field at Bromley, Middlesex. The 

 mother was assisted by her friend both in cleaning the new- 

 born calf, and in removing all traces of the event from the 

 ground, according to that habit of precaution which animals, 

 especially those in a state of nature, always exercise with a 

 view to prevent their defenceless offspring from being discovered 

 by their keen- scented enemies. The owner of the cattle, having 

 been apprised of the occurrence, arrived with his man, approached 

 the group, and caressed the mother without receiving the slightest 

 repulse. But as soon as the man had raised the calf, and was 

 carrying it away round his neck, closely and quietly followed 

 by its parent, who seemed perfectly to approve of removing to 

 the shed, her companion bellowed, rushed at the man, and 

 seemed determined to interfere in preventing this proceeding. 

 Sticks were used, and stones were flung at her, but yet she 

 did not desist from offering her most strenuous opposition 

 until the party had got beyond the gate, out of her reach. 



The uses of the ox in the employment of its strength have 

 been already noticed. The cow, by yielding a copious supply 

 of milk and cream, readily convertible into rich butter and 

 cheese, and into various preparations here unknown, but much 

 used in the East, confers so many benefits upon mankind, that 

 it was probably from a sense of gratitude that many nations 

 regarded her with veneration ; and that the Egyptians, the 

 Libyans, and the women of Gyrene, as Heredotus tells us, 

 refrained from eating the flesh of cows. In the ordinary 

 course of nature, the cow does not give milk until she has 

 conceived 5 but exceptions are on record. In the Edinburgh 

 Journal of Natural History (No. I.), Mr. Joseph Marshall of 

 Edrington, near Berwick, is stated to have had, in June 1830, 

 a heifer, or virgin cow, two years old, which yielded milk for 



