DESCRIPTION OF TILLYFOUR CATTLE. 127 



characteristics are fading from my memory. I have tried 

 to bring them in view again, and shall begin my descrip- 

 tion with the bull Hanton 228. He was a bull of great 

 constitution. As an evidence of this, I may state that after 

 his return from the Paris Exhibition in 1856, where he 

 got foot-and-mouth disease, he lay for a week in an old 

 smithy not able to rise, but he ate three cakes of oilcake 

 a day (each cake generally weighs 7 lb.), and a feed of 

 bruised oats, and during that time he took on three inches 

 in girth. He got boots made, was shipped to Inverness, 

 and took the first prize. Hanton was very lengthy, and 

 handled like a glove. The only thing bad about him was 

 his head, on which were loose scurs, which made the head 

 look a little square. He was serviceable to the end, and 

 had the use of himself, although of great weight he 

 usually scaled a ton. When in condition, he was as play- 

 ful when seven years old as a yearling, but with strangers 

 he got crusty. No wonder he did so, considering the ex- 

 posure to which he was subjected at shows, travelling by 

 sea and land. He had also to be thrown now and again 

 to have his feet dressed, as they never recovered the dis- 

 ease. As everybody was poking and punching at him, he 

 was always ready for 'war' if he thought any one was 

 meddling too much with him. He had a great fondness 

 for travelling in the cattle-van, and ran into it whenever he 

 saw the door let down. He was a very sure stock-getter, 

 and taking him altogether, few better have appeared. 

 Standard-Bearer 229 (the first prize bull at the Highland 

 Society's show at Aberdeen in 1858) was of another type 

 low standing and smaller in size, but very sweet. He 

 had immense fore-end, but was not proportionable in the 

 hind-quarters. He was not a good breeder ; and I knew 

 of only one calf by him when at Tillyfour, out of a small 

 dairy cow ; but I believe he had some after he went to 

 Carron on Speyside. As I have said, this bull had an 

 extra fore-end, for I well remember tying him in his stall 



