WILD WHITE CATTLE. 245 



ceased to exist, having been destroyed probably 

 during the Parliamentary wars. 



In a MS. and anonymous "Description of Cumber- 

 land," dated 1675, and said to have been written by 

 Edmund Sandford, a gentleman Of good family in the 

 county, the writer, describing Naworth Castle and 

 the neighbourhood, says that around it formerly were 

 " pleasant woods and gardens ; ground full of fallow 

 dear feeding on all somer tyme ; braue venison pasties, 

 and great store of reed dear on the mountains, and 

 white wild cattel with black ears only, on the moores; and 

 black heath-cockes and brone more-cockes, and their 

 pootes."* 



*Somerford Park, Cheshire, the property of Sir 

 Charles Shakerley, is situate near Congleton, in the 

 heart of what was once 'Maxwell Forest, t An ancient 

 herd of white cattle, resembling those at Chartley, 

 b ut polle d, still exists here ; and these animals are 

 considered to be the best surviving representatives 

 of the hornless and tame variety of the original wild 

 white breed. The colour is pure white ; the ears, 

 rims of the eyes, muzzle, and hoofs being quite black. 

 Like all other old herds of the forest breed, they have 

 a strong tendency to produce small black spots on 

 the neck, sides, and legs, and .this the proprietors 

 admire and encourage ; many of them have therefore 

 become more or less speckled. When Mr. Storer 

 visited this herd in August, 1 8 75, it numbered twenty 

 head. It is to be regretted that no record or even 



* Jefferson, " Hist, and Antiq. Carlisle" (1838), p. 361. 

 t Leland, " Itinerary," vol. v. p. 87 (ed. Hearne). 



R 2 



