WEIGHT OF CHABTLEY CATTLE. 237 



above, recently occurred of a heifer calving when only 

 eighteen months old. Black calves are not at all un- 

 common ; three had been born during the two years 

 preceding my visit in July, 1874 ; and I have not heard 

 that the Ferrers family suffered in any way in con- 

 sequence, so we may hope that the charm is broken. It 

 is much to be desired, in the interest of natural his- 

 tory, that the black female calves should be preserved 

 separate from the rest of the herd, and mated with a 

 white bull ; this might throw light on more than one 

 important question. King told me that when this 

 variation of colour occurs the calves are always pure 

 black, " with not a white hair on them," never parti- 

 coloured ; and this was quite confirmed by the old 

 labourer, Whitton, who had been there so long. 



The steers are castrated when quite young, as the 

 horn is thereby much improved. None have been killed 

 since King came, as the herd was then reduced to 

 fifteen, and the object of Lord Ferrers is to increase its 

 number. The old labourer says that neither cows nor 

 bulls have ever been killed during the last thirty years, 

 but oxen frequently. Their weight, when fed on hay 

 only out in the park, where they get into very fair 

 condition, was from seven to eight score a quarter (that 

 is, taking the medium, 43 stone of 141b., or 75 of 

 8 lb.) — a very great weight, when the sterile nature of 

 their pasture is considered. He remembers one which 

 was brought up and fed in an enclosure on hay and oil- 

 cake. This steer was nine years old, and weighed, 

 when slaughtered, ten score a quarter (that is, 57 stone 

 of 14 lb., or 100 of 81b.). These steers were noble 

 animals; and I and others thought that if they could be 

 tied up by the neck, and fed like ordinary bullocks till 



