162 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Old Cole's son, who died a few years since, park- 

 keeper at Windsor, was in his younger days a great 

 hand at " riding out the bull " from the rest of the 

 herd — a service of much danger. The risk was also 

 increased by the skill with which the savage animal, 

 when wounded, frequently concealed himself behind 

 inequalities of the ground, thus tempting his enemies to 

 approach too near, and charging them furiously when 

 they least expected it. Now they are generally stalked, 

 which lessens, but does not altogether remove, the 

 danger. 



Such are the records of the past, many of them, 

 however, but little known. Before I enter upon the 

 more recent history of the herd, and my own ob- 

 servations thereupon, I will introduce some remarks 

 made in the intervening period by others. The 

 following is a graphic sketch of a view of the herd 

 which was obtained by one of the visitors to Chilling- 

 ham on the occasion of the coming of age of Lord 

 Ossulston, on the 31st of December, 1850. He says : — 



"Many of the visitors to Chillingham availed 

 themselves of the opportunity of viewing the wild cattle 

 in the park. At this season the herd are easily found 

 and can be viewed without difficulty, as they generally 

 assemble for shelter in a lightly- wooded corner of the 

 park, where hay is supplied to them every morning. In 

 the summer, when pasture is abundant, they are 

 commonly dispersed over the hills, and may be seen 

 occasionally bounding like deer across the prospect. It 

 is not always safe to approach within sight or smell at 

 that season, especially when the cows of the herd are 

 rearing their calves, as they will then assume the 

 offensive against any intruder without hesitation. At 



