304 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



good skin ; hoofs also black. They were very large, 

 big-framed beasts, with wide haunches, back, and loins, 

 and of considerable height at the spine-line. They 

 were not large consumers for their size, and generally 

 very healthy. The cows were capital milkers, and had 

 very large, well-formed udders. The calves always 

 came pure white, except the noses and ears, but in a 

 few instances inclined to cream-colour. I never recol- 

 lect seeing any of the true breed spotted with black or 

 red. The herd consisted of about forty animals, two or 

 three of which were bulls. They were never crossed 

 with any other cattle." I have also procured, through 

 the Bev. John Dolphin, for forty-five years Eector of 

 Antingham, the following information, which he elicited 

 from his parishioner, Mr. Carter, Lord Suffield's " oldest 

 tenant, who well recollects the Gunton herd." Mr. 

 Carter says : — " He is certain that some had black ears 

 and others brown." We may consider it, therefore, quite 

 established that there was a tendency to variation in 

 this respect, and that the predominance of one colour or 

 the other at any particular time would be merely the 

 result of selection. 



It will be observed how much this herd resembled, 

 in its excellent milking powers, the one of the same 

 variety, and one probably remotely allied to it, at 

 Somerford Park. It is a loss to the country at large 

 that cattle so valuable should, through neglect, have, as 

 Lord Sumeld says, " gradually disappeared." We have 

 seen in the account of the Gisburne cattle that the third 

 Lord Sufiield tried to procure a cross from thence, but 

 that it came to nothing, because Lord Bibblesdale 

 objected to dark ears and muzzles. It would probably 

 have saved both herds. As it is, the Gunton Park herd 



