PARTS OF THE BODY 171 



and best if quietly handled. The beef steer must have what 

 is known as a phlegmatic temperament. This means that he 

 must be docile enough so that he wiU consume great quanti- 

 ties of food and place the surplus in the form of fat upon his 

 body. This in turn depends upon type and quality. In 

 the case of the beef animal as well as the dairy animal, 

 temperament is secondary to type and quality. 



Head and Neck. — The head and neck of the beef animal 

 are pecuhar to the type, and experienced judges can almost 

 determine the value of the animal by looking at its head and 

 neck. The muzzle should be of good size, indicating strength ; 

 a large mouth indicates capacity, thin lips indicate quality, 

 and large nostrils indicate breathing capacity and constitu- 

 tion. The eyes should be clear, indicating health, and placid, 

 indicating a quiet disposition. A short face indicates that 

 the body of the animal is short and compact. Ears of mod- 

 erate size indicate that the animal is free from coarseness, 

 and fine texture of the ear shows that the quality of the 

 animal is good. A short neck indicates compactness and 

 lessens the amount of cheap meat. Thickness of the neck, 

 while it increases the weight, is essential because it is always 

 associated with the desired thickness of body. 



Forequarters : Shoulders. — In the region of the fore- 

 quarters, one looks for smoothness and compactness. The 

 neck should blend gently into the body of the animal. The 

 region where the shoulder and neck meet is known as the 

 " shoulder vein," and fullness in this region means that the 

 neck and shoulder blend well. The shoulder should be well 

 covered, smooth, and compact on top. Width at the top of 

 the shoulders is desirable, but it often happens that the 

 shoulders are too wide. This gives the animal an appear- 

 ance of coarseness, and the shoulders are likely to be too 



