ON THE HERDS OF WILD CATTLE IN THE PABKS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 141 



One of the handsomest of the cows is almost entirely white, and is the 

 daughter of a cow that died this year at the extraordinary age of twenty- 

 three (at Chillingham they rarely reach ten) years. She was very dark, 

 although of the old strain, and had withstood infection during the cattle 

 plague epidemic. 



The bulls (though both immature) are very strongly made, very 

 broad across the thighs, short on the legs, and witti remarkably broad, 

 thick-set heads. Both are plentifully flecked with black, and in the 

 younger of the two the fleckings extend to the lower part of his face, 

 while the black on his muzzle is broader than in probably any other 

 example of pai'k cattle. 



The old bull, aged eleven, was consigned to the butcher this spring, 

 as he had become dangerous, having nearly killed the cattle-keeper.' 



One of the cows and the younger bull have some black in their tail 

 tassels, in all the rest it is quite white. 



The bull calf and three of the heifer calves have very little black 

 about them beyond their ears and muzzles, while the fourth is the blackest 

 individual in this herd, having probably more black than white about it, 

 in spots and patches with ill-detined boundaries. 



The cows produce their first calf when from two to two and a half 

 years old. The bulls run with the herd throughout the year, but, in order 

 to in some degree regulate the birth of calves, individual cows are tem- 

 porarily shut up. 



The udders of the cows here, are as large as ordinary domestic cows', 

 which is not the case in the herds which are not milked. 



In winter all the cattle, especially the bulls, develop long hair on the 

 poll and neck, which divides along the central line and covers them like 

 a mane. The hairs decrease in length backwards to the withers, where 

 they cease somewhat abruptly. 



About 180 acres of the park are allotted to the cattle, consisting of 

 excellent upland turf sloping down to the river Dane. It is said that the 

 whole herd will sometimes gallop to a pond in their enclosure, and go in 

 so deep that little but their heads remains visible. 



In dry seasons, when the river Dane has become unusually low, in- 

 stances have occurred of cattle of both sexes crossing the river both ways ; 

 but calves p^-oduced by the park cows are kept if correctly marked, &c., 

 even when the sire was probably a common bull. 



The cattle are housed at night during winter, and supplied with hay. 

 Ghartley. — The herd in July last was made up as follows : — Bulls : 

 1, nine years old ; 1, six ; 1, four ; 1, three ; 1, yearling ; 4 calves ; in all, 9. 

 Females : 6 cows, aged ; 2 cows, four years old ; 2, three ; 2, two ; 6 year- 

 lings ; 2 calves ; in all, 20. Bullocks : 1, four years old ; 1, three ; 3, two ; 

 in all, 5. Total, 34. 



This is the largest number recorded during recent years. An idea or 

 tradition prevailed that the number could not be raised beyond 21, so the 

 late Earl tried the experiment, and succeeded in April 1851 in getting 

 the number up to 48. The late Mr. E. P. Shirley,^ in November 1873, 

 recorded 27 ; the late Rev. John Storer,^ in July 1874, found 25, and 

 apparently an increase of two or three in the Decemljer following. In June 



' This was no doubt the ' big calf, eight or nine months old,' seen bv Storer on 

 August 6, 1875 OVild Mliite Cattle, pp. 258 and 259). 

 ■■' titorer, Wild White Cattle, p. 220. 

 ' Loc. cit. p. 222. 



