78 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BREED. 



with " scurs." The one feature is foreign to the breed ; the 

 other simply not in accordance with modern fancy. 



From the earliest accounts of the Angus and Aberdeen 

 polls, it would seem that they were even then noted for 

 symmetry of form, and that most of them were small in 

 size. They were generally so small, in fact, that oxen of 

 the breed were not considered suitable for the ordinary 

 light farm-work of a hundred years ago. It would seem 

 also that they have always been thick, low-set, round, very 

 compact, fine in the bone, with soft hair, mellow skin, 

 rich cover of flesh, fine head, hardy constitution, and great 

 aptitude to fatten, their beef being of the finest quality, 

 and beautifully mixed. The polled Aberdeen or Angus 

 cattle of to-day are just magnified animals of the same 

 type. Most of the good points they formerly possessed 

 have been still further developed, and brought to a higher 

 condition of usefulness ; while some defects that character- 

 ised the breed a hundred years ago have been wholly or 

 partially removed. There has been a very great improve- 

 ment in size during the present century. They are now 

 large cattle scarcely inferior, indeed, in weight to any other 

 variety in the country. At a casual glance they seem 

 decidedly smaller than average Shorthorns ; but on closer 

 examination, or on the " scales," the difference is generally 

 found to be much less than had at first sight been sup- 

 posed, and often disappears altogether. As a rule, polled 

 animals are lower-set, or thicker and more compact, than 

 average Shorthorns the latter being more " pointy," and 

 longer in the legs. 



The ancient symmetry of the breed has been more than 

 maintained, and now in this respect it is surpassed by no 

 other breed in the British Isles, or perhaps anywhere else. A 

 really good northern poll leaves very little to be desired in 

 the symmetry of its parts. The improved race have wider 

 and better sprung ribs than their ancestors had, and are 

 also longer and better filled up from the hooks backwards, 



