JUDGING BEEF TYPE OF CATTLE 239 



of brown or yellow tints. A clear, placid eye indicates 

 quiet temperament and a disposition to fatten easily. 

 The face of the beef animal should be reasonably broad 

 in proportion to its length. It is this part, lying 

 between muzzle and eyes, where shortness of head is espe- 

 cially to be desired, for the length here largely influences 

 the strength of jaw. If the face is long and narrow, two 

 weaknesses will be apparent, first, the nasal tubes extend- 

 ing from the nostrils will be smaller, thus restricting free- 

 dom of respiration, and second, the jaw will be long and 

 weak, a feature of many inferior feeders. A face that 

 from a side view seems slightly depressed just below the 

 eyes, or "dished" as cattlemen express it, has long been 

 regarded with favor, especially if short and wide, for this 

 is considered a strong conformation. The cheeks on each 

 side of the face should be wide, smooth and fleshy, indicat- 

 ing a strong jaw. The underside of the lower jaw should 

 be widely spread at its base, an evidence of strength, as 

 well as supplying ample room for the tongue. The fore- 

 head should be broad and full, features associated with 

 intelligence and pleasant disposition. The narrow fore- 

 head is likely to be found on a narrow, long head, a char- 

 acteristic of the narrow, long-bodied animal. Width of 

 forehead should be especially strong just over the eyes, 

 with a very gradual narrowing from here to the horns, 

 though in case of a polled beast, the forehead narrows 

 quite rapidly to a well-defined point. The upper part of 

 forehead or poll should have a thick covering of long, 

 coarse hair. This is much more apparent on some breeds 

 than others, and more conspicuous on the male than the 

 female. Ears of medium size, well pointed and neatly 

 attached to the head, meet with greatest favor. Large, 

 heavy ears, coarse at the attachment to the head, indicate 

 a general coarseness. Too small, delicate ears, on the con- 

 trary, denote over refinement. A thick covering of fine hair 

 is desirable on the ear, with long, silky hairs adorning the 

 edges and bordering the outer ear cavity. In the well- 



