TEE LYRIGK EALL EEBD. 115 



I have since seen a letter from Mr. W. L. Dickinson, 

 the writer of the above, dated Thorncroft, June 17th, 

 1876, and addressed to Mr. Jefferson, Preston Hows. 

 It completely corroborates his previous statement, but 

 adds little to it. It tells us, however, that " the Lyrick 

 Hall herd was a lofty and handsome herd of forty or 

 fifty head," and that they had " a few dark spots on the 

 fore-legs, mostly below the knee, and a very few on the 

 sides." Nothing seems known as to their origin; but 

 as respecting their extinction, the impossibility of 

 getting " a change of blood " for them had as much to 

 do with it as any imperfection in their milking qualities. 

 They finally got mixed with the Long-horns of the day, 

 and " were lost or absorbed." Mr. Dickinson adds : — 

 " Besides myself, there are very few living who have 

 seen the Lyrick herd, and it is well on to threescore 

 years since I enjoyed the sight of it. I do not know 

 any one likely to give you further information." 



Lyrick Hall is near Keswick, and it appears likely 

 that its cattle were related to the " white owsen" and 

 " white stots " of the Border Ballads, some two cen- 

 turies and a half before " the Ly ricks " came to an end. 

 Fashion had changed in the interval ; and the white 

 cattle, so highly valued at the earlier period, excellent as 

 they continued to be, were quite undervalued in later 

 times. Yet here, in the wilds of Cumberland, at the 

 beginning of this century, still remained a domes- 

 ticated ox of the Urus type — in colour, style, and lofty 

 carriage closely resembling the Hungarian — a cultivated 



Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, vol. xiii., p. 250. 

 H. H. Dixon says, in " Saddle and Sirloin," chap, iv., p. 92, that their 

 "smart figure and carriage" rendered them very valuable "for topping 

 the dealer's lots." 

 t 9, 



