CREST OF TEE STAEK FAMILY. 325 



"N.K." is his authority — the "New Eegister,' y 

 commenced in 1672, and in the Lyon Office. But the 

 crest of Stark of Killermont is there given as — " Ane 

 dexter hand holding be the home a bull's head erased 

 argent and distilling drops of blood proper," arms and 

 motto as above.* It will be observed that, though in 

 the addition to the arms of Muirhead — subsequently 

 Stark — the bull's head is of an heraldic tint, or, in order 

 to correspond with the other charges on the shield, the 

 chevron and the three acorns, yet the crest, where no 

 such necessity existed, is argent — the colour of the white 

 wild bull ; and further that, in allusion to the circum- 

 stances under which it was assumed, it is distinguished 

 as "distilling drops of blood." There are, I under- 

 stand, families of the name of Stark still in Scotland 

 who claim descent from the original actor, and bear his 

 arms and crest. 



The next historical notice we have of the Cumber- 

 nauld wild cattle was in the time of Mary, Queen of 

 Scots, grand- daughter of James IV. Her long minority, 

 the violent religious changes, and her many misfortunes 

 brought troublous times to Scotland. The Lord Flem- 

 ing of those days was a strong supporter of the queen, 

 and suffered much in her cause. The king's party got 

 the upper hand, and Lord Fleming's wild bulls were 

 considered fair game. It is probable that during this 

 period of anarchy and confusion the royal herd at 

 Stirling: received a blow from which it never recovered, 

 for no notice of it has been found subsequent to the 



* This corrected description of the crest of Stark of Killermont was 

 obtained for me from the Lyon Office itself by Mr. Turnbull, of Abbey 

 St. Bathan's. ' The Stark crest and arms are among the first in the " New 

 Register," 1672. 



