8 Scipntific Proceedirifjsi, Rni/al Diihlin Societi/. 



roau, and white, while the Herefords, whicli at one time were all red, had 

 begun to acquire their present white markings ere they came to Ireland. 



These being descriptions of the imported cattle, let us see the kinds of 

 cattle that were then produced when tliey were crossed with the natives. 



But, before doing so, let us consider the colours the importations ought to 

 have produced when crossed with black cattle. Two of the four imported 

 breeds are still used for crossing with black cattle in Ireland and Britain, 

 and the colours they produce are as follows : — 



(i.) Shorthorns. — («) First crosses with black cattle and red or red-and- 

 white Shortliorns are black. 



(h) First crosses with roan Shorthorns are either black or blue-roan. 



(c) First crosses with white Shorthorns are blue-roan. 



We need only consider first crosses, because, if these are bred together or 

 with either parent-race, no new colours are likely to emerge, although colours 

 and markings of either race may be transferred to their descendants. 



(ii.) Herefords. — First crosses with the Hereford are black with white 

 faces. This is a peculiar phenomenon : the black of the black cattle is 

 dominant over the red of the Hereford, while the white face of the Hereford 

 is dominant over the black face of the black cattle. 



(iii.) Demns. — Devons are not often crossed with black cattle ; but as 

 they are the same race as other southern English red breeds, their first crosses 

 with black cattle ought to be black. The few crosses the writer lias seen are 

 black. 



(iv.) Longhorns. — Longhorns are now very few in number, and are 

 seldom, if at all, crossed with black cattle. If they were, their progeny can 

 be indicated by other crosses. Some of tlie Longhorns were perhaps roans, 

 most were reds and brindles, and nearly all had tlie white streak down tlie 

 back. 



(a) If the Longhorn roans were a similar mixture to the Shorthorn roans, 

 then their first crosses with black cattle would be either black or blue roans. 



(b) If the roans of the Longhorns were produced by crossing black and 

 red races — it is nut asserted that they were — then the first crosses would, in 

 all probability, have been black. Some may have been red. 



(c) Among Highland cattle, brindles are crossed with black, and tlieir 

 progeny are blacks, reds, and brindles. The brindle of the Longhorns had 

 a similar origin to that of the Highlanders ; and when Longhorns were 

 crossed with black cattle, their first crosses would probably have been blacks, 

 reds, and brindles. 



