WILD WHITE CATTLE. 225 



between tlie years 1 750 (when they were introduced, 

 by Alexander, tenth Earl of Eglinton) and 1820, 

 when, on the death of the twelfth earl, Hugh, being 

 much diminished in numbers, they were sent away 

 to be killed. Sir John Sinclair, in 1 8 1 4, referred to 

 this herd as one of the few remaining representatives 

 at that time of Caledonia's ancient breed ; and 

 Robertson, in his " Description of Cunningham and 

 Ayrshire," published in 1820, has given a good 

 description of it. He states that the animals in this 

 herd were pure white, with the muzzle and inside 

 of the ears black, and that they diflPered from the 

 Chillingham cattle in being polled or hornless ; 

 in this respect resembling the herds at Gisburne, 

 Middleton, Somerford, Whalley, and Wollaton. 

 Their number, he adds, was limited, not being allowed 

 to increase beyond about a dozen ; they were thinned 

 by shooting, which required some precaution to 

 accomplish. This account is confirmed by a somewhat 

 similar notice^ given by the Rev. Mr. Bryce, minister 

 of Ardrossan, in the " New Statistical Account of 

 Scotland," 1837. 



AucHENCRDlVE, Ayeshire. — A little more than 

 a century ago, when this estate, now the property of 

 Mr. Oswald, belonged to the Lords Cathcart, a herd 

 of white wild cattle existed there. In 1763 the 

 estate changed hands, and a few years afterwards, 

 within the lifetime of the first Mr. Oswald, who died 

 in 1 784, the cattle, being found troublesome, were 

 got rid of. 



Barnard Castle, Durham, formerly part of the 



