20 WILD WHITE CATTLE. 



Jallads," and in Percy's "Reliques of Ancient 

 Cnglish Poetry/' where we are informed that it was 

 ntered on the Stationers' books in 1591, although 

 mdoubtedly of much older date. Much of this 

 tory, as Mr. Storer has observed, may be mythical, 

 ,nd many of its circumstances fabulous ; but it 

 evertheless seems to prove just as clearly the exist- 

 nce in very ancient times of the dangerous and 

 3rocious wild cow, as the popular ballads about 

 lobin Hood prove the existence of fallow deer in 

 herwood Forest in the time of King John.* 



In the Welsh laws of Howell Dha, which date 

 'om about a.d. 940, or before the middle of the 

 oth century,! we find white cattle with red ears 

 ;hat is, resembling in colour the wild cattle of 

 !hillingham) ordered to be paid in compensation for 

 Sences committed against the Princes of Wales, 

 t is a question, however, whether the description 

 idicates a difference of breed, or merely a difference 

 f colour in individuals of the ordinary breed of 

 ^elsh cattle. 



In the forest laws of King Canute (a.d. 1014-1035), 

 did. cattle are thus referred to: "There are 

 Iso a great number of cattle which, although they 

 ve within the limits of the forest, and are subject 

 > the charge and care of the middle sort of men, 



* See also Woods' remarks on this point in his " Description of a 

 ossil Skull of an Ox found in Wiltshire," 4to, 1839. 

 t An English translation of these laws will be found appended to 

 The Myvyrian Archaeology of Wales collected out of Ancient Manu- 

 ripts," ed. Owen Jones and others (Denbigh, 1870), pp. 1014-1062. 

 ide cap. ii. § 3. 



