TREATISE ON MILCH COWS. 45 



Shis could not be sffected except by; studying a vast number of individufils— by 

 comparing tliem together— taking into consideration the countries frojn yrhich 

 Aeycame— their^tature— theiryield. This was^nat all i they had to beielasged. 

 Conceive what toil this task involved for me, a plain child of Nature, who Jia4 

 no idea of such a classification, and found myself under the necessity of establish- 

 ing' one. The endeavor was one to'absorb me entirely ; I gave up my calling ; 

 I traveled about, visiting cattle market^', fairS,' cow-stables ; I questioned and 

 cross-questioned all fwSiQ jnigit, be expected to know most on the subject — hus- 

 bandmen, d,ealei;s,ii:^, cattle, m^ g)ftS«i veterinary pj;pfes«ion ; I became convinced 

 that my discovery had not been aatifuj^tfid jay anypne. The marks for distin- 

 guishoi^ a good Sow from a bad one variedaccording to the; notions of each indi- 

 vidual. Some looked to the shape of the horns' — othfers upon that of the udder ; 

 some judged by the shape of the animal, or'thfe) feolor of her hair — others were 

 determined in ijh,eif choice by something else,. But^ in these various modes of 

 judging, all was vague and uncertaiv. I i^ecamg cpii^jrmed in, the belief that I 

 had made the important discovery «f signs that were.positive and certain.; and, 

 in order the better to Satisfy myself of the solidity of the ground upon which my 

 method was to rest, I took the precaution to return to the same localities at dif- 

 ferent times and seasons, that I might trace and ascertain the effects which might 

 atttend these variaticms of Nature.. 'AH my observations were accuratelynoted 

 down ; and I could at length flatter myself with having acquired a mass of facts 

 which gave solidity and- consistence to my system, and imparted the character of 

 positive certainty to that which at first had been but a probable conjecture. 

 ' In 1822, 1 began to deal in cattle on my own account. This trade brought un- 

 der myeyes a great pumberi and variety of Cows frotai all quart ersr^from Switz- 

 erland, Holland, Brittany, Poitou, &c. &c. ; and I; had better opportunities . than 

 before for thoroughly examining the marks of these different races. , iMy obser- 

 vations were mukipUei^-,)Eyid I becapie cc^-^ipci^ anew tjia-t^ll individuals pos- 

 sessing the same marks belonged to the same family,' whatever might be the 

 country of their birth ; that these marlcs were an infallible Indication of the same 

 degree of superiority or [inleriority ; in a ^qrd, that Nature, always consistent 

 with.h^self, acted, at all times and places,.in the same way, and was always 

 governed by the same laws. - , . ', . 



:;;jf or between seven and, eight. years, I; had been incessantly engaged in estab- 

 lishing order among my observations^ aad arranging theresults into one eon^st- 

 ent whole. I established a classification, founded upon the shape or outline of 

 the different marks : Cows were fir^ divided into classes or fatnilies ; then, in 

 each of these clashes, there was ^threefold division, according to size — the tall 

 qt^higA, the medium, a,ad ,tlje low ; fiijally, each. class was subdivided into orders, 

 according to the diminution aad the defbrjnily of the distiotetive jnark of the class, 

 as fosnd in the difierent individuals^belonging to it. This task was an immense 

 one for me, and cost me a degree of trouble and an expenditure of time, of which 

 a conception maybe formed,, by considering how tnany coniparisons and combina- 

 tions were necessary to a person so unversed ipspi^iit.ific methods, before my ma- 

 terials cQuld be reduced to order, aft^^I,: could ibiim.a, distinct ai>d precise idea of ;J 

 my own discovery.! .-,,,;, 



' These diflictfllies, whifch might' haredisheartened any other person, did not 

 discbtirage me. A system was" fo be created, and I created it. In 1828* I ad- 

 dressed to the Academy of Bordeaux "a i'eqftest,' having for its object that iny 

 jpaietbod shqul4,be, examined and reported JJppn^. Xwas not yet willing to disclose 



