SUPPLEMENT. 727 



The cows are moderate milkers. 



The Limousine breed ranks among the best of France in respect to yield and quality of 

 meat. 



THE SALNKH r.UEKD. 



This breed originally hailed from the mountains of Auvergne the central plateau of 

 which it frequented and from Cautal and Puys-de-Donie, extending westward towards 

 the neighboring departments. 



The Salers present a slender appearance, with bulky and powerful bones ; the coat is a 

 bright red mahogany, marked with white under the belly. The head is short and strong, 

 the forehead broad and covered with abundant curly hair ; the horns smooth, twisted, 

 and turned outwards ; tho body long, cylindrical, mounted on long legs ; the head and 

 shoulders strong, the do whip thick and prominent, -the rump short, with the tail at- 

 tached high up, the bony prominences well marked. 



In the plains of Limagne these animals have a pied red coat ; the body is shorter, 

 squarer, and lower on the ground. In the east district the coat is brilliantly dappled 

 pied chestnut or black and the head white. 



The Salers cattle are reproduced with great fixity of type; they are hardy, good work- 

 ers, and tolerably fair milkers. 



THE AUBBAC BREED. 



This breed, originally from the mountains of Aubrac, is mostly raised in Aveyron, 

 Lozere, and a small part of Cantal. 



Its characteristics are coat varying from fawn gray to silvery gray, horns large and 

 black pointed, head handsome, eye brilliant and level with the head, neck and should- 

 ers short and muscular, dewlap loose, chest well developed, trunk compact and sym- 

 metrical, legs broad and short. 



The Aubrac is quiet, gentle, tractable, strong, and well fitted for working, fattening, 

 or milking. Its meat is of excellent quality. 



The oxen leave the mountains for Lozere when about three years old, and after three 

 or four years' work are fed up on the Mezenc pastures, and thence consigned to the meat 

 markets of the large towns of the southeast. 



THE MEZENC BEEED. 



The district of Mount Mezenc (Ardeche) may be regarded as the cradle of the race, 

 which is distributed in the departments of Ardeche and Haute- Loire, and a part of that 

 of Loire. 



Its distinguishing points are coat light red or wheat colored, head massive, horns 

 large and projecting in front, skin thick, hair coarse, dewlap hanging under the throat, 

 chest tolerably large, flank long and hollow, loins weak, bones enormous. It is saddle- 

 backed. 



Beasts of -this breed possess strong constitutions, and are good paying animals, owing 

 to their aptitude for work as well as for the production of meat and milk. The Mezenc 

 ox is much esteemed as food from the rich flavor of its meat, due to the Alpine flora on 

 the Mezenc pastures, and from his early maturity. 



THE PAETHENAISE BREED AND ITS OFFSHOOTS. 



The Parthenaise breed and its derivatives (Vendeenne, Nantaise, and Mancelle breeds) 

 constitute the horned stock of the department of Deux-Sevres, Vendee, and Loire In- 

 ferieure, and a great portion of those of Maine-et-Loire, Vienne, Indre-et-Loire, and 

 Charente-Inferieure. 



This family, which the breeders consider as a pure race, is regarded by zoologists as 

 the produce of a cross with animals of different Swiss breeds. Thus in the Mancelle 

 cattle we recognize the characters of the great Bernoise and Fribourgeoise breeds, and 

 in the Parthenaise and Nantaise beasts those of the Schwitz breed. 



The whole of the Parthenaise group proper has the fixed characteristic of black ex- 

 ternal mucous membranes, surrounded by a badger-gray circle. In the others this mark 

 varies with the tint of the hair surrounding them. At the same time the mixture of 

 foreign blood has not been introduced to such an extent as to modify the shape of the 

 animals, which remains entirely that of a French breed. 



The Parthenaise cattle combine the three faculties so desirable to be united ia a breed: 

 working power, facility of fattening, and good milking qualities. 



