Wilson — Scandinavian Origin of Hornless Cattle of British Isles. 161 



Tliere are small bunches of hornless cattle here and there in other parts 

 of Europe, but, according to Wilckens, " they are found chiefly in Northern 

 Europe, in North Russia, Einnland, Lappland, Sweden, Jemtland, Norway, 

 and Iceland, settled by the Norsemen in 874 a.d."' Wilckens adds, erroneously, 

 tliat " in these places they are invariably white." Some of them may be so : 

 the Fjall race of Sweden, for instance, seems now to be white ; but the 

 quotations which follow show that others are not wlute. It is impossible to 

 give a general description of these hornless cattle of Northern Europe ; but 

 a few quotations from letters kindly sent by correspondents in Scandinavia 

 will show that many of the cattle in that part of the world are extraordinarily 

 like those that liave already been described as existing now or formerly in 

 the British Islands. 



Professor Isaachsen, of Aas, Norway : — " As to our cattle up to the year 

 1600, we know very little. But in those days, like in ours, there were several 

 distinct breeds in our country, and probably they have not changed tlieir 

 characteristics very much. Especially in the western and south-western 

 parts of Norway, the so-called " Vestland," from which part of tlie country 

 the first settlers ai-e supposed to have come to your country, the breed is 

 partly horned, partly polled, about half of the animals being polled, I 

 think. The colour of the breed is either black, dun, red, or grey, whole- 

 coloured, or with small or large white marks and sjjots. 



"In the south-eastern parts of Norway, especially in Akershus and 

 Smaalenene (two " amter "-sliires), the indigenous breed is constantly red and 

 polled (Det rode pollede Ostlandsfae — the red polled breed). 



" In Esterdalen and Grudbrandsdalen, the two large eastern valleys of 

 tlie country, the native breed is black or dun, in some cases red, most of tlie 

 individuals being horned : only a few are polled. 



" The breed in the western parts of Norway we suppose to be the most 

 ancient or one of the most ancient in our country." 



Professor Maar, of Copenhagen : " Mr, Morkeberg- thinks that most of 

 the Danish cattle in early times were horned, but that hornless cattle may 

 have been found, not in Jutland, however. I shall add the remark that 

 small dun-coloured cattle are still — though seldom — found in the Danish 

 isles, and sometimes are supposed to be the original Danish cattle. I 

 suppose that by dun-coloured you mean cattle with black or grey hairs or 

 black and grey hairs mixed thoroughly up with white hairs." 



Professor Eedluud, of Stockholm, says that the Swedish hornless cattle— 

 the mountain or fell race [Fjall rasen] — are undoubtedly the original Swedisli 



1 Grundziige der NalurgescMclite der Haiistiere, 1905, p. 308. 

 ^ i.e. Staats Oonsulent Morkeberg. 

 SCIENT. PKOC. K.D.S., VOL. XII., NO. XV. 2d 



