Hereditary Diseases of Cattle. 
87 
behind the ears considerable — an important character in reLitlon 
to health, as cattle with necks narrow and hollow behind the ears 
are defective in vigour. A well-developed neck also indicates 
vigour, and is especially necessary in the bull and in cattle in- 
tended for feeding. Many good inilk-cows, however, have long fine 
necks, and, on the other hand, no cow will ever be of much value 
for the dairy with a short thick neck. The chest should be both 
wide and deep, the girth taken immediately behind the shoulder 
should closely correspond with the length from behind the ears to 
the rise of the tail, while, in animals intended for fattening, the 
dewlap can scarcely be too near tlic ground. Tlie carcase should 
approximate as nearly as possible to the barrel shape, for a thin 
flat-ribbed animal cats largely, tlirives badly, and is unusually 
liable to diarrhoea and other derangements of the bowels. The 
width over the loins should be ample. There should be little 
space between the prominence of the hip and the last rib, or, in 
technical language, the animal should be " well ribbed home." 
The quarter should be large, as increasing the amount of those 
parts most prized by the butcher, the measurement from the pro- 
minence of the haunch backwards to the rise of the tail, and down- 
wards to the hock, being as great as possible, and the lower part 
of the haunch thick and broad. The tail should be fine and well 
covered with hair, and placed nearly at a right angle to the spine, 
to which it should be attached without coarseness. The shoulder 
should be straight, the arm strong and thickly covered down to 
the knee with well-developed muscle ; whilst the lower part of 
the limb should be fine, small, and flat. Smallness of bone is a 
sure indication of early maturity and aptitude for fattening, and a 
distinguishing characteristic of all the improved breeds of cattle, 
but when existing in too great degree it indicates weakness and 
delicacy of constitution. The hind legs should be straight, neither 
drawn too much under the belly, nor too closely approximating 
each other. Above the hock the limb should be thick and fleshy, 
below it fine and smooth. The hide should be soft and pliant, 
with a mellow and oily feel depending upon the copious elabora- 
tion of its natural secretions, the hair plentiful, smooth, and fine. 
In cattle intended for milking, the udder should be large and 
coming well forward, and the teats large and well separated from 
each other. 
These characters and qualities, besides constituting symmetry 
and beauty of form, also indicate a due harmony amongst the 
various functions of life, an aptitude for fatteniftg, the possession 
of a vigorous and healthy constitution, and freedom from all in- 
herent disease. But, as has been already stated, all these cha- 
racters of external form are hereditary, and hence also all the 
good qualities depending on these must be hereditary likewise. 
