36 r 



THE ORIGIN OF BRITISH 'WILD' CATTLE. 



H. E. FORREST. 



{^Continued from page 332). 



At a later period, the long-horned race of ox, domesticated 

 by the Romans and other peoples of Europe, probably also 

 originated from B. primigenhis in a similar way, but, not having 

 passed through so many generations, it retained more of the 

 character of the original type — it had the long horns and 

 straight forehead of B. primigenius, whilst in size it was inter- 

 mediate between that animal and the old domesticated longi- 

 frons. 



It would be quite natural for the invaders of Britain, finding 

 their own oxen so much larger than the native short-horn, 

 to endeavour to improve the breed by bringing over some of 

 their own animals. Amongst these importations would cer- 

 tainly be some of the highly-prized white breed. Prior to the 

 period of the Roman invasion, there is no evidence of the exis- 

 tence of white cattle in Britain ; yet we find that a few centuries 

 later the Celts in Wales had herds of both white and dark cattle, 

 prizing the former most highly. Youatt writes : — ' Howell 

 Dha, or Howell the Good, describes some of the cattle in the 

 tenth century as being white with red ears, resembling the wild 

 cattle of Chillingham Castle. An early record speaks of a 

 hundred white cows with red ears being demanded as a com- 

 pensation for certain offences against the princes both of North 

 and South Wales. If the cattle were of a dark or black colour, 

 a hundred and fifty were to be presented. When the Cambrian 

 princes did homage to the King of England, the same number 

 of cattle, and of the same description, were rendered in acknow- 

 ment of sovereignty.' 



' Speed tells us that Maud de Breos, in order to appease King 

 John, whom her husband had offended, sent to his queen a 

 present from Brecknockshire of four hundred cows and a bull, 

 all white with red ears. . . . The same records that describe 

 the white cattle with red ears, speak also of the dark or black- 

 coloured breed which now exists, and which is general through- 

 out the Principality.' 



Now how did the Welsh become possessed of this white 

 race of cattle as well as their original black race ? There seem 

 to be two possible solutions of this question : either they 



1908 October i. 



