Gtienon's System of Selecting Cows by the Escutcheon. 485 
<;ases it will generally be found that there are other deteriorating 
signs. 
There is still another very unfailing good mark, though it is 
not mentioned by Guenon, and the Pennsylvania Guenon Com- 
mission first brought it to notice, as their experience had long 
proved it to be a good sign. They call them Thigh-ovals. It is 
where the vertical loses itself in the thigh-escutcheon. Here 
the down-running hair makes a semi-circular dip into the broad 
escutcheon. If this is of fine short hair, it is an excellent sign, 
and the Commission put great faith in it. 
Impekfections. 
Besides these favourable marks, there are those that are im- 
perfections, denoting a decreased yield, a poorer quality, or a 
shorter time for giving milk. As these must be learned with 
the book in hand, in presence of the animal, we shall not 
describe them here fully. The first and most important im- 
perfection is that of the escutcheon itself. Where the escut- 
cheon is irregular in shape in either class, not uniform on both 
thighs, then a certain discount must be allowed in proportion as 
it varies from the perfect one of its class. The most prominent 
imperfections are those about the vulva (which Guenon called 
epis, or tufts), and cuts or slices out of the outlines or sides of 
the thigh-escutcheons. He says the cause of these latter defects 
is, that the veins situated beneath, on either side of the belly, 
have a peculiarity, — that they are contracted, and there is a 
small opening for them where they pierce the abdominal 
muscles. All imperfections encroaching on the escutcheon 
diminish its value, and indicate a decreased aptitude for yield- 
ins milk. These tufts are classified into two kinds— those on 
which the hair ascends, and those on which it descends. Coarse 
hair on the udder may certainly be considered a blemish or 
imperfection. 
Sometimes there is an intermingling of two forms of escut- 
cheons. This arises from the crossing of two animals having 
different classes of escutcheons, and sometimes renders it difficult 
to tell in which class to place the animal. In such cases, judge 
it by the class of escutcheon it the most nearly resembles. 
Guenon, in his earlier editions, said nothing about bulls. 
In the revised and last edition, from which my book is translated, 
he has a special chapter, and thirty illustrations. This is a 
very important addition, as the choice of a good bull is the 
foundation of a good herd. Too little attention has been and is 
paid to the quality of the bull. He stamps his qualities upon 
his get. I have gone through herds, and picked out every 
