350 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



for so many centuries a bare and inhospitable region, 

 where he was exposed to every privation, and where 

 he had often to be content with the merest modicum of 

 coarse food. He was often found, as we have seen, cream- 

 coloured or light dun ; but this colour would not do, for 

 Sir John Orde purchased some such cows, and found that 

 when put to the wild Athole bull they almost always 

 had very dark calves. Occasionally, though rarely, the 

 West Highlander is to be found white — pure white — 

 with pink, or rather white, skin, and with, at the same 

 time, a tendency to black (like the wild cattle themselves) 

 on the ears, muzzles, orbits of the eyes, and hoofs. Two 

 or three such cows were purchased from the district of 

 Lorn (Kilmory is in Argyll proper), and two or three, 

 as occasion offered, in other parts of the neighbourhood. 

 The result was successful. Some care in selection was 

 necessary at first ; but for years past there have been 

 none but white calves, though occasionally one is born 

 which wants the black nose, or the black tip to the 

 horns, or the black edge to the eyelids. These are not 

 kept for breeding ; and the herd only agrees, as we have 

 seen, with the most ancient of the original wild herds 

 in producing these slight and occasional variations. 



Sir John had used the wild bull for some years when 

 he heard that the late Lord Breadalbane was in difficulty 

 about keeping up the white wild herd he had obtained 

 from Athole, in consequence of his cows proving barren. 

 The idea was (and, no doubt, a correct one) that the 

 barrenness might be owing to the bull being " ower- 

 sib " (in English, too nearly related) " to the cows." A 

 proposal was made that his lordship and Sir John 

 should change bulls. This was done, but Lord Breadal- 

 bane's cows were not benefited by the change, and his 



