The Cow 325 



But the hoofs overshoot the neck, and can- 

 not reach the region directly between the 

 shoulders — elsewhere along the back and 

 quarters Sis Cow licks herself, at the appar- 

 ent risk of dislocating her neck. The risk is, 

 however, only apparent. She can and does 

 suck herself, if she chooses, and further can 

 both lick and scratch with her teeth the 

 root of her tail. But the face, forehead, 

 space betwixt the horns, and some ten inches 

 of backbone where neck and body join, must 

 go unlicked unless a helping friendly tongue 

 is available. When shedding their coats in 

 the spring they scratch themselves against 

 any handy upright — tree, fence post, house 

 corner, what not. By turning the head well 

 around they can flick ofF with the tail a 

 troublesome insect from the eyelid — one bit- 

 ing too far forward to be touched by the 

 hind foot. At shedding time, and indeed all 

 through the summer, all sorts of cattle love 

 to find a dry bare spot, either sandy or dusty, 

 and paw up the light earth all over them- 

 selves, bellowing faintly as they do it. Three 

 or four bulky cows around the same spot, 

 pawing, kneeling, seeming to bow to each 

 other, then rise and try to dance, is a sight 

 as grotesquely humorous as any in all the 

 panorama of the pastures. 



August with its clouds of winged stinging 



