422 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



England, Italy, and Spain ; and the Polled races, or horn- 

 less cattle originally, as it would appear, a German breed, 

 " ne armentis quidem honor aut gloria frontis;" according 

 to Tacitus, have spread to Iceland and Norway, where 

 they are often fed on dried fish. They are now abundant in 

 Scotland, exist in France, and about Penaranda, in Spain, 

 from whence they may have been transported to form the 

 Polled breed of Assomption in Paraguay. They are also 

 common in Abyssinia and Madagascar. 



Before we enter upon the hunched breeds, it may be 

 proper to give a short account of the principal British 

 breeds, derived from the several above-noticed races. 



1. The Long-horned or Lancaster breed, distinguished 

 by long horns and thick firm hides, long close hair, large 

 hoofs, and depth of the fore-quarter, give in propor- 

 tion less milk, but more cream. They are of various 

 colours, but in general finched, that is, with a white streak 

 along the spine, and a white spot inside of the houghs. The 

 Improved Leicester is a slight variety originally bred at 

 Canley, near Coventry. 



2. The Short-horned, sometimes called the Dutch, in- 

 cludes the varieties, named the Holderness, Teeswater, 

 Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. This has been the 

 most improved, produces milk, usually twenty-four quarts 

 per day, and butter to three firkins per season. Their 

 colours are much varied, but generally red and white 

 mixed, or what the breeders csdledjleeked. The Oxen com- 

 monly weigh from sixty to one hundred stone (fourteen 

 pound to the stone) ; they have been fed to one hundred and 

 twenty, one hundred and thirty, and particular ones to one 

 hundred and fifty stone the fore-quarters only. 



3. The Middle-horned, comprehending the Devon, 

 Hereford and Sussex, most esteemed for draught, active 

 and hardy, do not milk so well as the former, but fatten 

 early. The Devons to be pure, must be of a high red co- 



