MIXTURE OF RACES. 29 



as such by naturalists, they universally are either 

 pure white, or of light colours closely allied to it, 

 and frequently running imperceptibly into it, such as 

 a light dove or fawn colour, a light dun, or yellow. 

 I am not disposed to deny that black does appear in 

 some of these cattle ; but it is only in certain districts, 

 and usually in the form of very light pale grey, though 

 sometimes of much darker shades of that colour. This 

 is just what my experience of the British white forest 

 breed would lead me to expect. I should suppose that 

 in certain localities, and under particular circumstances, 

 some increased tendency to black markings would show 

 itself; but that this and other secondary colours, 

 whether arising from an accidental cross or from in- 

 herent predispositions, would be largely modified and 

 controlled by the greater prevalence and potency of the 

 primal white. It is not, however, in Western Con- 

 tinental Europe that the question can be tested, and 

 my opinion negatived or confirmed. 



Successive warlike tribes, following each other from 

 the East — Iberians, Celts, Belgae, Teutons, nearly all at 

 last conquered by the Bomans — pushed one another west- 

 ward till the sea stopped them, and mingled the con- 

 querors with the conquered. Their various breeds of cattle 

 were of course mingled also, the imported with the ab- 

 original; and accordingly we find throughout France, the 

 greater part of Germany, and all along the shores of the 

 North Sea an unnumbered and scarcely distinguishable 

 mass of mixed races, which the experienced agriculturist 

 finds it most difficult to classify, even for economic pur- 

 poses, and whose complex and varied origin presents to the 

 man of science a succession of puzzles which he finds it 

 impossible to solve. The evil has been greatly increased 



