:a WILD WHITE CATTLE. 



lire, about the year 1200, had its "fierce wild 

 ittle."* 



Speed tells usf that Maud de Breos, in order to 

 ppease King John, whom her husband had offended, 

 mt. to his queen a present from Brecknockshire of 

 >ur hundred cows and a bull, all white with red ears. 

 Whether this was the usual colour of the ancient 

 reed of Welsh and British cattle, or a rare variety, 

 steemed on account of its beauty, and chiefly pre- 

 jrved in the parks of the nobles, cannot be deter- 

 uned with certainty. It is, perhaps, more natural 

 ) suppose that they were all domesticated, and not 

 ild cattle. In later records, however, wild cattle 

 re particularly referred to by this name. " Six 

 ylde bulls," are included in the bill of fare on the 

 3casion of the feast given at the installation of 

 reorge Nevill, Archbishop of York, in 1466.'^ 



Hector Boece(Boethius), who was a contemporary of 

 (eland, and who published his " Scotorum Historiae, 



prima Gentis Origine," in 1526, has often been 

 uoted to prove the former existence of wild white 

 ittle in Scotland. § His statement is to the effect 

 hat in the great Caledonian wood, which covered a 

 reat tract of country, running through Monteith and 

 Itrathearn, as far as Athole and Lochaber, there were 

 nils of the purest white, having manes like lions ; 



* Walbran, " Memorials of the Abbey of St. Mary of Fountains'' 

 Surtees Society, vol. xliii.). 



+ Speed, " History of Great Britaine," folio, 161 1. 



% Leland, " Collectanea" (ed. Hearne), vi., p. 2. 



§ This work was translated into the Scottish vernacular by John 

 iellenden, Archdeacon of Moray, in 1 5 5 3, and into English by Raphael 

 [olinshedin 1585. 



