284 MAMMALIA. 



opinions, tte discovery of Francois Guenon, a farmer of Gironde, 

 stould be welcomed witli as much pleasure as surprise : it asserted 

 the possibility of determining at once, from a mere examination 

 of the Cow, both the quantity and quality of the milk it would 

 furnish, as well as the period of its lactation. Does not this 

 statement rather savour of exaggeration ? Do the data on which 

 it is based present any degree of scientific value ? A commission, 

 nominated bj' the National Government of 184:8, was charged to 

 solve these questions. 



This Cow-dealer and farmer — for such was Guenon's business 

 — was in a position to observe practicallj' a great number and 

 variety of cattle. He remarked that in Cows the hairs on the 

 hinder face of the udders are turned upwards, and added to this, 

 these hairs extend more or less over the region of the periasum, 

 so as to form a figure, which he describes under the name of an 

 escutcheon. By a multiplicity of observations, he became assured 

 that a Cow's power of giving milk varied in proportion to the size 

 of this escutcheon, and he divided Cows into orders and classes 

 accordingly. He certainly somewhat exaggerated the merits of 

 his plan, and his indicia, in some points, were clearly contradicted. 

 This the commission did not fail to see. Still, however, they had 

 to confess that the basis of his hypothesis was correct, and that 

 the longer and wider the so-called escutcheon of the animal is, 

 the greater are its milking qualities. Hence results a proba- 

 bilitj' of knowing approximately, by the inspection of the 

 udder, the quantity of milk that may be expected from a Cow.* 

 By taking notice of certain outward radications, such as those 

 furnished by the bidk, size, and consistence of the udder, the 

 development of the lacteous veins, &c., it is very seldom that a 

 carefid or experienced observer can be in faidt. 



As far as regards the richness of milk, Guenon considers that 

 it finds its maximum in those Cows which have the skin of their 

 udders of a yellowish hue, frcclded with black or reddish spots, 

 furnished with fine and scanty hair, and covered with a greasy 

 substance, which becomes detached when it is scratched on the 

 surface. 



This escutcheon exists in males also, but is much less extensive 



* See Guenon's work, C'hoix de VncJics liiitic-res, published at Paris in 1847, and 

 accompanied with plates esemplifying his system. 



