ON THE HEBDS OF WILD CATTLE IN THE PARKS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 135 



Report of the Comrniitee, consisting of Mr. E. Bidwell, Pro- 

 fessor Boyd Dawkins, Professor Bridge, Mr. A. H. Cocks, 

 Mr. E. de Hamel, Mr, J. E. Harting, Professor Milnes Mar- 

 shall, Dr. Muirhead, Dr. Sclater, Canon Tristram, and Mr, 

 W. E. Hughes {Secretary), appointed for the purpose of pre- 

 paring a Report on the Herds of Wild Cattle in Chartley Park, 

 and other Parks in Great Britain. 



Ant inquiry into the origin of the Wild "White Cattle would be beyond the 

 scope of the present Report, and this question, however interesting in 

 itself, must be dismissed in a very few words. 



The Urus (Bos 'primig emus') was probably the only indigenous wild 

 ox,' not only in this country, but throughout the Palgearctic region, and 

 the source of all our domestic breeds, as well as of the White Park Cattle ; 

 and we may fairly trace these park herds back to the Btibali or Tauri 

 sylvestres, which are mentioned ^ as occurring down to mediaeval times; 

 but whether these animals were genuine Uri, or feral cattle, admits of 

 some doubt. 



The original Urus was a huge beast, while the park cattle, as we 

 know them, are smaller than many domestic breeds ; but deterioration in 

 size would be a natural result of their way of life and long-continued 

 in-breeding. 



The prevailing white colour of the park herds, with a tendency to 

 throw black calves, which still exists in most of the herds, and which is 

 especially the case when any admixture of blood takes place, is probably 

 the result of the same cause, and not the original coloration of the 

 Urus. White cattle had a special value, according to the Welsh laws of 

 Howell Dha, and as is also proved by the present sent by Maud de Breos 

 to appease King John. 



This report does not include extinct herds, but as one herd — that in 

 Lyme Park — has only very recently ceased to exist, and as this is the first 

 account of the wild cattle published since that catastrophe, it has been 

 thought well to include a short notice of that ancient stock. 



The following list includes all the herds now remaining in the British 

 Isles, arranged according to the probable order in time of their arrival at 

 their present abode. In the detailed account of the different herds further 

 on, they are arranged to some extent geographically, from north to 

 south. 



Chartley Park, near Utfoxeter, Staffordshire (the Earl Ferrers), 

 appears to have been enclosed by the middle of the thirteenth century.^ 



Chillingham Park, near Belford, Northumberland (the Earl of Tan- 

 kerville), seems to have been enclosed before the latter part of the same 

 century, and probably as early as (or even before) 1220; and should there- 

 fore, perhaps, have been placed first. 



Lyme Park, near Disley, Cheshire (W. J. Legh, Esq.), at the latter 

 part of the fourteenth century. 



Cadzow Park, Hamilton, Lanarkshire (the Duke of Hamilton, K.T.). 



' l.JE., of the genus Bos ; there was in addition the bison. 



' By Matthew Paris, Fitz- Stephen, and others. 



' For these dates ride authorities quoted by Harting, Extinct British Animals. 



