BLACK MEG 766 AND PANMURE 51. 95 



that he had over three or four polled cows in all; and 

 certain I am of this he had no Galloways. Therefore a 

 double mistake occurs by Mr Eavenscroft placing either 

 my Black Meg or his lordship's Black Meg amongst the 

 Galloway cows in the ( Herd Book.' As for me, I never 

 had a beast of the Galloway blood in my life ; and at an 

 early period of the existence of the Eastern Forfarshire 

 Association (about the end of the last or beginning of the 

 present century), a trial to introduce the Galloway blood 

 into this county not succeeding at all well, the late Lord 

 Panmure, the then and indeed he was the perpetual 

 President of this Society, had ever afterwards an utter dis- 

 like to the Galloway breed, and, as is well known by many 

 in this county to this day, would not have tolerated the 

 existence of a beast of this breed in any moor, park, or 

 paddock on his wide domain. Therefore his Black Meg 

 was not a Galloway. But the bull Panmure is on canvas 

 in the Mechanics' Hall, Brechin, painted by the great J. 

 Phillip ; also he is now before me and on canvas by the 

 same great man, and presented to me by the late Lord 

 Panmure ; and let any judge look at these paintings, and 

 say if he sees the very slightest resemblance to the Gallo- 

 way breed. Not he ! No ! Half a judge would even say 

 so. His elegant head and stately outline would at a glance 

 at once bring out such a remark as, ' There has been no 

 Galloway blood there no, no ! ' 



"Further, as to Black Meg of Ardovie 766, where did 

 she come from ? I purchased this cow from an excellent 

 man now no more Mr Thomas Fawns, cattle-dealer, 

 Brechin. He brought her from the north, and I always 

 understood that she was bred in Buchan, although I think 

 Mr Fawns got the cow off the estate of Mr Arbuthnot in 

 the Mearns. She cost scarce 15 ; yet in those days she 

 was looked upon as bought at rather a foolish price. For 

 all that, I know not of any other three five-pound notes I 

 ever laid out so profitably. 



