208 
0?! Sliort-horn Cattle. 
its importance has led me to dwell upon it at some lengtli ; but 
it is impossible to describe the kindly feel which is conveyed to 
the senses by the handling of a first-rate short-horn ; yet the 
knowledge of it is absolutely necessary for a breeder to possess 
before he can bring his herd to any high state of excellence. 
The next point under consideration is the ci'op, in the shape of 
which, width of the back, and roundness of the rib, but in a less 
degree, should be continued forward, so as to leave no hollow be- 
hind the shoulders. The shoulder on the outside should have a 
roll of fat from the lower to the upper part of it ; the nearer to the 
top, the more closely it connects the crop and the collar in front 
of the shoulder together. In the anatomy of the shoulder, modern 
breeders have made great impr ovement on the Ketton short- horns 
by correcting the defect in the knuckle or shoulder-point, and by 
laying the top of the shoulder more snugly into the crop, and 
thereby filling up the hollow behind it. This is an important 
improvement, but it may be questioned whether the great attention 
that has been paid to this has not been attended by the neglect of 
some other more valuable parts, for we now seldom find those 
long hind quarters so peculiar to the Ketton short-horns. Shoul- 
ders should be rather wide at the top ; that is, they should not lie 
close to nor be quite so high as the withers ; for when they are 
narrow at the top, and too oblique in the shape, they never cover 
with fat over them properly, and the neck of such animals is 
often too low. Mr. Mason, of Chilton, whose attention was first 
drawn to this point, with his wonted skill succeeded to admi- 
ration : the prominent breasts and oblique shoulders of his beasts, 
on a side view, were perfect; but the shoulders were close and 
narrow at the top, and did not load with fat. The first evidence 
of this, of notoriety, was in the beautiful cow Gaudy (whose pic- 
ture is to be seen in the first volume of the ' Herd- book'), who, 
when slaughtered, was barely covered in this point, although very 
fat in all other points. 
The neck and head are not handling points ; but I will briefly 
notice them before I turn to the lower part of the body : the 
neck should be thick, and tapering towards the head ; a thin 
neck is strong evidence of a want of flesh and substance in other 
parts. There are various opinions on the shape of the head : 
some prefer it to be hmg and lean, whilst others approve of its 
being thick and short ; but to be broad across the eyes, tapering 
considerably below them to the nostrils, which should be capa- 
cious, with a cream or flesh coloured muzzle, will be nearly cor- 
rect ; although it is but right to state that there are many well-bred 
short-horns with dark muzzles. Tiiis has been considered by 
many to be a recent introduction, through some inferior cross ; 
but, without denying that, let it not be forgotten that some of the 
