THE 'POLLED HERD BOOK.' 69 



twenty years before that date, but in 1851 the whole of 

 the matter which had been obtained was destroyed in 

 the fire which in that year took place in the museum of 

 the Highland Society in Edinburgh. This was indeed a 

 great misfortune, and it seemed for a time as if the desired 

 object would have to be abandoned. In 1857, however, 

 Mr Kavenscroft, at the urgent request of some of the lead- 

 ing breeders, headed by Lord Southesk, recommenced the 

 work, and succeeded in completing the first volume by 

 1862. Although, as we shall have occasion to point out 

 afterwards, the volume contains many inaccuracies, its 

 publication was nevertheless an event of great importance 

 to the breeders of polled cattle. Mr Kavenscroft, in the 

 preface, says : " While regretting the apathy of some 

 breeders, and the opposition of others, during the pro- 

 gress of the work, I should be ungrateful did I not record 

 the valuable assistance I have received from the Earl 

 of Southesk ; Sir John Stuart Forbes, Bart. ; the Hon. 

 Charles Carnegie, M.P. ; Mr Alexander Bowie, Mains of 

 Kelly ; Mr Fullerton, Ardestie Mains ; Mr Eobert Walker, 

 Portlethen ; and the late Mr Threshie, Dumfries. With- 

 out their aid I am afraid the work would never have seen 

 the light." Soon after the issue of the first volume the 

 polled herds in Angus were decimated by rinderpest ; 

 and this, together with the apathy created among the 

 breeders of pure -bred stock by the mania for rearing 

 crosses, which succeeded the general introduction of Short- 

 horns into the north, resulted in long and unfortunate 

 delay in bringing out the second volume of the 'Herd 

 Book.' 



On the occasion of the Highland show at Perth in 

 1871, a meeting of breeders of polled cattle was held, when 

 it was decided that the ' Herd Book ' should be revived. 

 The copyright of the work had previously been obtained 

 by Mr Alexander Earnsay of Banff, and arrangements were 

 made whereby the work should be carried on jointly by 



