PART II. 



THE ORIGIN AND BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE ORIGIN OF CATTLE. 



Professor Boyd Hawkins, as the result of his investigations as 

 to the origin of British breeds of cattle, believes the two principal 

 stocks from which all breeds are descended are undoubtedly (i) the 

 Urus, an animal wild in the forests of Europe later than the days of 

 Charles the Great, tut since > then extinct hi the British 

 Isles ;^ and (2) the Eos Longifrons, or " small Celtic Short- 

 horn," an animal which " never was aboriginally wild in Europe." 

 Both were probably domesticated in Asia and in parts of Europe. 



As it has been generally conceded to the Celts the honor of domes- 

 ticating the majority of the British breeds of domesticated cattle, it 

 may not be out of place when endeavouring to explain the origins of 

 our dairy stock to explain also the origin of the Celts, who have tena- 

 ciously clung to their cattle as being among the most cherished of 

 their earthly possessions, since they were all liberated -from the "Ark." 

 Without, however, rushing back to prehistoric ages -for our informa- 

 tion, we can conclude that the Romans knew and understood the Celts. 

 The Romans even knew that the Scots were Celts, and classed them 

 rightly with the Celts of France (Gaul) and Spain, and, with prophetic 

 foresight, built the wall running from the Forth to the Clyde almost 

 exactly on the march or boundary cf modern Celt and Saxondom. 

 As a matter of fact, the Celtic race proper is of Indo-Persic origin, 

 and it is certain that it was from this great source that th? Celt; o-f 

 Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall in Great Britain, and the 

 Celts of France and Spain are derived. 



" Blood is thicker than water" means a deal more than mere words 

 to the student of history, whether he be dilating on the breeds of 

 cattle or the races of mankind. Schlosser gives four leading sub- 

 divisions of the great Indo-European or Indo-Persic family, the parent 

 stem of the Celtic race : (i.) The Armenian, whose seat is in the 

 Caspian, and whose part in history has hitherto been small. (2.) Thj 

 Scythian race, overspreading the vast regions of Eastern and North 

 eastern Europe and of Central Asia to the confines of the Mongolian 

 countries. (3.) The Pelasgic race, diffused in the remotest a?es through 

 Asia Minor, the Aegean Islands, Greece, Italy, and other parts of 

 Southern Europe, and the mother race of the Greek and Roman 

 peoples. (4.) The Indo-Persic race j^roper, stretching in Asia from 

 the Caspian to the Bay of Bengal ; ''and the parent in the west of 

 the two great modern races, the Celts o-f Gaul, Britain, Spain, &c., 

 and the Germans of Central Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula.' 



The students of race and history have here a splendid field for the 

 study of the flux and reflux of blood influences and tempreamental 

 influences, all the elements, in short, that go to influence the making 

 of history of man and beast. Out of this great kaleidoscopic race and 

 environment .folk-cauldron the Irish and Scottish Celts have emerged 

 with their breeds of cattle, sheep, horses, and other domesticated 

 animals into the highest order of civilisation. 



