372 
Polled Aberdeen and Angus Cattle. 
tific systems of breeding now pursued. Many good Polled 
cattle too have been found to show a development of soft worth- 
less flesh and fat on the rounds behind ; but that defect, which 
is disliked very much, is also almost obliterated. The tail 
should hang straight down close to the body all the way till it 
comes near to the level of the flank. On both sides of the tail 
the quarters should turn away in a rounded manner, swelling 
out downwards, and ultimately passing into thick deep thighs. 
The twist should be full, and the hind-legs set well apart, 
and not detached from the body until the level of the flank is 
reached. The flank should be full and soft, so that a good 
handful may be got out of it. The bottom line should be as 
even as the top and side linss ; and the bones of the legs fine, 
flat, and clean, with plenty of muscle and flesh above the knees 
on the fore-legs. The body should stand neatly and gracefully 
on the legs ; and when the animal stands, the fore-legs should 
be perfectly straight, and the hind-legs very slightly bent for- 
wards below the hock. All over the frame there should be a 
rich and even coating of flesh. Even the hook-bones, and other 
prominent parts, should be well covered ; and above all, there 
should be no patchiness — no hollows, and no rolls of hard flesh 
with spaces of soft, useless fat between them, such as are always 
found in a patchy animal. Except in rare cases the skin is 
fairly thick, but soft and pliable ; it ought to be so free over the 
ribs that one could fill one's hand of it. The hair is, as a 
rule, not long, but fairly thick and soft ; and in the best animals 
shows two growths, or rather two lengths, one short and thick, 
and the other longer and thinner. When walking, a good 
animal of the breed presents a very compact, graceful, and sym- 
metrical appearance. Indeed, it is fairly enough claimed for the 
breed that in these, and in some other respects, it has hardly 
any equals, and no superiors. The above description refers more 
correctly to bulls than to cows. The latter, of course, differ con- 
siderably in character. The head is much finer, the neck thinner 
and cleaner, with no crest ; the shoulder-top sharper ; the bone 
altogether finer ; the skin not quite so thick ; the udder large, 
and milk-vessels large and well-defined. 
In appearance as well as in other characteristics the Polled 
Aberdeen and Angus breed differs substantially from the Polled 
Galloway breed. The former has lived under a dry climate 
and has been fed in the house during a large part of the year. 
The latter has its home in a moist climate and has spent much 
more of its time in the open fields. The differences between 
the two are just such as might be expected from the different 
circumstances. The Galloway has a thicker skin and stronger 
