reds ete 
1082 Hornless Ruminants. [Dec. 
Low describes them as “a variety of cattle rendered remark- 
able by the striking contrast of colors on the body, found in 
Somersetshire and the adjoining counties. It has existed in some 
parts of England from time immemorial. The red color of the 
hair has a light yellow tinge, and the white color passes like a 
sheet over the body. | The individuals are sometimes horned, but 
most frequently they are polled. The cows are hardy, docile, 
and well suited to the dairy. The beef of the oxen is of good 
quality and well marbled. The breed has become rare, which is 
to be regretted, since it is much better suited to the dairy than 
others that have been adopted. The peculiar marking which 
distinguishes these cattle is not confined to any one breed. It 
appears among the cattle of Wales, where they are crossed by 
the White Forest breed, and is frequently among those of Ire- 
land, and used to be so among the-older Galloways of Scotland.” 
Again, in his other work, Low, in referring to their peculiar 
marking, gives some additional particulars as to this: 
“Tt is common in Holland, where the colors are black and 
white." It may be ascribed to the intermixture of two mo l 
having each a tendency to produce the pristine color of the st 
from which it is derived. Thus a mixture of the White hg 
breed and a Devon might produce an animal resembling 
sheeted Somerset, with the Black Falkland one resembling 
sheeted varieties of the Dutch,and so on. The peculiarity, when 
“communicated, is very constant, and when two animals ga 
ing it are mixed together in blood the progeny never ae 
preserve the markings of the parents.” 
The peculiarity of a white body on cattle was years 48° weir 
uncommon in Aberdeenshire. I have seen several. In all cass : 
the white was confined to the body. In Aberdeenshire they "o 
called—when a cow, for example—a blanket cow or & plaidit co, . 
—one having the plaid about her. The white in Galloways -e : 
to have gone along the back, and, like the Irish cattle, in. oe 
Derbyshire Polls—Arthur Young (“ General View of the 2 , 
culture of Hertfordshire,” published in 1804) gives pne ; 
notes upon the variety of cattle of that county. pe homn 
finding Devon, Hereford, Welsh, Long-horned and >? ass of 
cows in milk, and in one place, Hatfield, the March ae 
Salisbury had all these, “ and buffaloes both of the whole 286 © — 
The Dutch Belted breed has been introduced into this country oN 
ke 
