3i WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



the " confusion is only temporary ; it advances rapidly 

 to the desired point, for, in spite of the mixture of its 

 colours, the pied-black is already the one most extended, 

 as with all races or sub-races which derive from the 

 Dutch breed." 



To other parts of the same coast the same remarks 

 apply with more or less stringency. The Holstein cattle 

 are, like those of Friesland, considerably mixed, though 

 at present somewhat more pure. Both countries supply 

 from their splendid pastures many fine animals for the 

 butcher ; neither can claim for their oxen descent from 

 the Urus unaccompanied by much extraneous admixture. 

 Nor, when we come to examine what we may call the 

 mother-race of these western coasts, the Holland or 

 Dutch breed, an excellent race of cattle which has 

 largely spread through both Germany and France, do 

 we find the true characteristics of the Urus strongly 

 marked. They are indeed what they are required to be, 

 great milkers ; and they retain partially those feeding 

 qualities which possibly their predecessors inherited 

 much more largely. They are for the most part black 

 and white — " La race Hollandaise se presente sous une 

 robe bigarree de noir et de blanc." But I have reason 

 to believe that in the course of two or three centuries 

 the character of the Dutch breed, like that of Friesland, 

 has been completely changed. I have carefully ex- 

 amined, and taken notes of, the pictures containing cattle 

 — and they are numerous — of the old Dutch and Flemish 

 masters in two celebrated collections in this country, 

 and my conclusions are confirmed by those who have 

 examined them elsewhere. If any credence is to be 

 given to the pictures of Paul Potter, Rubens, Berghem, 

 Cuyp, Teniers, Vandevelde, &c, the Dutch cow of 



