336 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



nearly unhorsed and sent into a hedge." Nor was this 

 all. Mr. Bartlemore, of Seafield, before alluded to, who 

 was commissioned to accompany the party who took the 

 cattle, told Mr. Weir's sister that he rode behind, and 

 that when they came to a place where the road to 

 Duchal turns off the main road the bull turned on the 

 party, and attacked them with the greatest fury. The 

 risk was considerable, and it was some time before they 

 could get his anger allayed ; but at last they managed 

 to arrive at Duchal. These cattle did not, it appears, 

 long remain there. The bull was soon after killed — most 

 likely on account of his ferocity — and, being preserved, 

 was long an ornament of the entrance-hall there. 



The difficulty that was experienced in removing the 

 last Ardrossan wild bull from his former home reminds 

 one of the attacks which " Duncraggan's milk-white 

 bull " made on the Highland raiders — 



" Ah ! well the gallant brute I knew ! 

 The choicest of the prey we had, 

 When swept our merry-men Gallangad. 

 His hide was snow, his horns were dark, 

 His red eye glowed like fiery spark ; 

 So fierce, so tameless, and so fleet, 

 Sore did he cumber our retreat, 

 And kept our stoutest kernes in awe, 

 E'en at the pass of Beal'maha." 



The account I have given of the Ardrossan herd is 

 so full that I need not add more. The two difficulties 

 which remain unsolved are — from whence they originally 

 came, and how they became hornless. I think that the 

 two statements of Bailie Willock and Mr. William 

 Coulter, when taken together, tend to show that in 

 them, as in most other wild cattle, there was a pre- 



