On Abortion in Cows. 



71 



the species to which it belongs, it is separated from the maternal 

 uterus by the act of parturition. 



When a cow has taken the bull, and conception follows^ the 

 oestrum, or heat, soon passes away, and she settles down to mani- 

 fest no return of sexual appetite during pregnancy. Some 

 striking exceptions to this rule are, however, found, for we have 

 known cows, although in calf, display a desire for the male. 



The calves of some of the more primitive breeds of cattle in 

 this and other countries are at birth small in size when compared 

 with some of those borne by our "improved'' animals. The 

 milk yielded by the native breeds, such as those inhabiting high- 

 land districts in this kingdom, is comparatively small in quantity, 

 but rich in quality. These covvs generally pass through the 

 periods of gestation and parturition with immunity from many 

 diseases to which higher-bred animals are during such times 

 especially liable, and for the most part bring forth their young 

 without that mechanical assistance which we are in the habit of 

 affording to the short-horned cattle. It has, however^ been found 

 that, in order to keep pace with the interests of the age in a com- 

 mercial, economical, and scientific point of view, the ingenuity of 

 man might be profitably turned to what is called the improvement 

 of breeds of cattle. The objects aimed at in effecting this end 

 are, by judicious admixture of animals, to produce such stock as, 

 combining excellence of external form with milking and feeding 

 properties, shall be most valuable for the requirements of man- 

 kind. Any animal that is readily domesticated, and adapts itself 

 to what may be called artificial modes of life, is in the course of 

 years, under the hands of man, made subject to important modifi- 

 cations of external form, accompanied by intrinsic constitutional 

 changes. The cow affords an instructive illustration of this fact; 

 and while we can but confess that some diseases affect our im- 

 proved cattle which seldom occur among the indigenous breeds, 

 yet we must also admit the great national advantage of that 

 practical application of the science of breeding which has pro- 

 duced our choice animals of the present day. 



Symptoms of Abortion. 

 If abortion take place in the early weeks of pregnancy, it is but 

 rarely that any symptoms are observed which foretel its occurrence. 

 The speedy return of oestrum, however, soon makes the farmer 

 aware that the contents of the uterus have been expelled. It is 

 an interesting fact, and one worthy attention, that the sooner 

 abortion occurs after conception, the sooner also does oestrum 

 succeed the abortion. In some cases the two conditions appear 

 to go together ; and we shall often find on observation that the 

 periods of abortion correspond pretty closely with what would be 



