Vm PREFACE. 



The main features in the construction of the Herd Book, it has 

 ah-eady heen stated, will he adhered to throughout, at the same 

 time that any improvement hkely to further the interests of 

 breeders, or assist the reader in his researches, will, of course, he 

 adopted. Amongst the first and most important of these, it has 

 been suggested that the appearance of the volumes in continuation 

 at much shorter intervals than has yet heen customary, would 

 considerahly increase the value and utihty of the work, as one of 

 every-day.reference. With this the Editor will do all in his power 

 to comply, though, in attempting it, he will be compelled to ask 

 even greater assistance from those kind and constant friends 

 whose labours in its behalf have tended materially to make the 

 Herd Book the correct chronicle of a breed of animals it has be- 

 come no less a national pride than a profit to produce. " The 

 authority," in fact, of a work which gathers its contents from 

 such a variety of som'ces and districts, depends very greatly on 

 those who consult it ; to such he should feel indebted for the 

 correction of error and the conveyance of information. Indeed, 

 to the majority of those who have achieved that success which 

 he merely records, the compiler has the happiness to add he does 

 stand indebted ; and wliile, as in duty-bound, he' retm-ns his best 

 thanks for the past, it is accompanied with the hope that he may 

 merit the same able assistance for the future. 



The limit of this said futm-e the Editor will now, with his 

 friends' permission, place at ceiiainly not more than two years — a 

 period at which he will endeavour to have a volume in continu- 

 ation ready for the farm-yard and the fireside. More or less 

 frequent than this, he has been told by those best qualified to 

 judge, would scarcely be advisable ; and hence to a new volimie of 

 the Herd Book every other year would he wish to be understood 

 as confining himself. There has, however, been so great a lee- 

 way to work up, that it has been found to be impossible to include 

 the whole of the matter now in a single cover ; consequently a 

 second or companion volume, already in a very forward state, will 

 shortly follow, and thus put the work into plain-saihng for the 

 year 'forty-eight. For a brief season, therefore, the Editor most 

 respectfully begs to make his bow, wishing his subscribers, one 

 and all, that success which so useful and delightful an occupation 

 deserves, and reminding them, in reference to his own humble 

 efforts in the good cause, of the usual indulgence extended to a 

 first attempt, and the proverbial popidarity of " practice makes 

 perfect." 



4, MoRETON Villas, Camden Town, 

 London, August, 18JC. 



