Wir.soN — The Origin of the Dexter-Kerry Breed of Cattle. 9 



(d) The white streak along the back is now almost extinct, excepting 

 among the Longhorns. At one time it was very common in the western 

 English midlands and in the south-east of Wales. It is still common in 

 some parts of Germany. It was, and still is, a well-defined characteristic ; and 

 from its having been so widespread, and having persisted so long, it may be 

 taken as a Mendelian character, like the white face of the Hereford. There- 

 fore when Longhorns were crossed with black cattle, this black stripe would 

 have come out in the first crosses.' 



Let us now quote some descriptions of the cattle in those parts where 

 the natives were being crossed by imported cattle, but were not yet entirely 

 swept out. 



Sampson,^ in his Survey of Lonclonderrij (1802), writes : — " I observe two 

 varieties of native cows ; the one is light in tlie bone, small in size, extremely 

 active, crooked in the ham, with a good eye and sharp nose, and nice thin 

 neck, a crooked horn, frequently turned upward. This strain is generally 

 black, reddish, or brindled, with some white. There is a coarse-boned, ill- 

 shaped breed also ; these have swollen bellies, heavy head, a dew-lap very 

 pendant, a bull-like aspect — 



' Cui turpe caput, cui plurima cervix, 

 Et crurum tonus a meuto palearia pendent, 

 Et faciem tauro propior.' "^ 



Tighe,* in his Survey of Eillzenny (1802), writes : — " The common cattle 

 of this country are a mixture of the Irish breed with some of the longhorned 

 English. A few may be seen of the ancient native stock, or what may be 

 supposed so, whose characters appear to be upright horns, distant, dry, bent 

 somewhat backwards, and tipped with black ; ears rather large ; body black, 

 and face white." 



Youatt^ (1834) writes that " Irish cattle are evidently composed of two 

 breeds ; the middle and the longhorns. The former is plainly an aboriginal 

 breed. They are found on the mountains and rude parts of the country, in 

 almost every district. They are small, light, active, and wild. The head is 

 small, although there are exceptions to this in various parts ; and so 

 numerous, indeed, are those exceptions, that some describe the native Irish 

 cattle as having thick heads and necks ; the horns are short compared with 



1 Since this paper was read the writer has found evidence in the Longhorn Herd- Book that the 

 white back-stripe is a Mendelian character, which is dominant over black at least. 

 ^ Survey of Londonderry, p. 205. 



3 This is quoted from Virgil's Georgics, Book iii., lines 52 and 53, and part of line 58. 

 * Surveij of Kilkenny, p. 800. 

 5 Cattle, their Breeds, &c., p. 179. 



SCIENT. PEOC. K.D.S., VOL. XII., NO. I, 



