WHITE CATTLE. 



the Devon and the Hereford breeds. Even in the County of Durham, 

 England, we find many admirers of the old Holderness and the yellow 

 and white Yorkshire type of Shorthorn, which breed was always used 

 in the London dairies for milk-producing purposes, long anterior to 

 the development of the modern Shorthorn by Messrs. Ceilings Bros, 

 and Booth Bros. The Holderness, the yellow and white Yorkshire 

 Shorthorn, and the Longhorns produced but few white calves com- 

 pared with either the Longhorned Durhams or the modern Shorthorn 

 breeds. 



Mr. Bailey, in his survey of Durham, published in the year 1808, 

 says: "Seventy years since (1738) the colours of the cattle of Messrs. 

 Milbank and Croft were white and red, and white, with a little red 

 about the neck." Mr. Culley states that he got similar information 

 from old men who lived about that time, and who had a distant 

 recollection of the cattle in many counties of England. 



It must not be forgotten, however, that there has been .for centuries 

 a decided prejudice against white animals of every description. It is 

 even plain that among the animals themselves there is a noticeable 

 antipathy shown to any white ones of the same species. But if we 

 follow up the history of the Shorthorn breed of cattle in New South 

 Wales alone, we cannot help being impressed with the fact that white 

 Shorthorn bulls have proved to be equally valuable as sires with any 

 other color of Shorthorn, often more valuable. 



Returning once more to the attack on the origin seekers of our vari- 

 Dus breeds of British cattle and we must own at the outset of the task 

 that that which we take to be the most orderly plan of enquiry obliges 

 us to face at once the chief difficulty of the whole task. As a result, 

 the first fruits of our research bring us face to -face with an irrecon- 

 cilable difference of opinion between the various schools of naturalists. 

 One tells us that the great long-haired Bos Urus is the origin ioi our 

 semi-wild white cattle ; another, that the small, shorthorned Bos 

 Longifrons is their progenitors. One naturalist tells us thatf the 

 Urus was black; another, that he was white; while yet another dis- 

 cusses the question, whether the Urus was domesticated in Asia only, 

 or in Europe. Whilst, lastly, we find another, who refuses to believe 

 that the Urus was ever domesticated by any of the various races of 

 mankind known as civilised or semi-civilised peoples. 



Where the difficulty lies with us is the fact that all these different 

 professors are recognised leaders of natural science. If they had all 

 led one way, we might have confidently followed them; but, unfortu- 

 nately, they do not, and we are in consequence left, to a great extent, 

 in doubt as to whom to -follow. The writer cannot get away 'from the 

 opinion so strongly adhered to by Dr. Smith, of Edinburgh (Scotland), 

 that "the Bos Urus never was domesticated." We have, therefore, to 

 look to the Celtic ox Bos Longifrons -for the origin of the semi- 

 wild white cattle of Europe, as also the semi-black cattle of Europe. 



Nevertheless, we must respect and duly weigh, if we cannot with un- 

 swerving faith follow and accept, the suggestions of these recognised 

 authorities, who were advanced explorers, laborious truth seekers, to 

 whom the world is indebted for much accumulated knowledge and 

 salient thought. If we, therefore, without the aid of a scientifically 

 trained mind, cannot at all times reconcile their diverse teachings, we 

 may, perhaps, from the very diversity which perplexes us gather know- 

 ledge of more than one side of each subject, which they, and we, see 

 from various Doints of observation. 



It is probable that whatever part of England that was worth the 

 conquest was invaded, and possessed by the Romans before the Chris- 

 tian Era ; it was held by them, so long as they had the power, and 

 until the unconquered spirit of the ancient Britons, after near four 

 centuries of Roman rule, drove the more civilised invaders out and 



J 145- 



