664 
a Scotch authority, states that the same has been said of the 
Suffolk race, but he very significantly points out that the Suffolk 
Polled Cattle “ has as much the characteristics of a different native 
breed as the Galloway itself,” and this would, doubtless, apply with 
equal force to the old Norfolk variety. However that may be, there 
can be no doubt the blending of the Norfolk and Suffolk varieties 
has produced a very perfect animal, of which both counties may 
well be proud, and any attempts at further crossing have proved 
unsatisfactory, Mr. H. F. Euren, the editor of the ‘ Herd Book,’ 
tells me that the animals whose breeding is known to have been 
true during the last fifty years or more give the best results 
now. 
Far more ancient than any local race of cattle are two herds, at 
present to be seen in Norfolk, the one at Blickling Park, the property 
of the Marchioness of Lothian, and the other at Woodbastwick, 
belonging to Mr, Albemarle Cator, Unfortunately, as will be seen, 
neither herd has, of late, been maintained in its original purity ; but by 
careful selection the characteristic features of the race from which 
they sprung have been maintained, and so strongly does the original 
strain assert itself, that probably they differ little in appearance 
from their remote ancestors. These fine cattle, although now fully 
domesticated, are the descendants of the British Wild Ox (Bos 
primigeniiis ). Mr. Storer, in his ‘Wild White Cattle of Great 
Britain,’ traces their descent from the “ wild bulls ” of Blakeley, 
in Lancashire, through the old herd, which formerly existed in 
Middleton Park, Lancashire, the seat of the Asshetons, whence they 
were brought by Sir Harbord Harbord, Bart, (created Baron Suffield 
in 1786, and who married a daughter of Sir Ealph Assheton) 
to Gunton Park in 1765. The Gunton herd died out previous 
to 1853, but before this happened, some of the cattle had 
been transferred to Blickling, then the seat of the Hon. William 
Assheton-Harbord, who had married Caroline, daughter and 
heiress of the Earl of Buckinghamshire, to whom Blickling 
belonged. The descendants of these continued to thrive at 
Blickling till almost exterminated by the cattle plague, since 
which time they have been more than once crossed by Ked 
Short-horned Bulls, and, subsequently, by a White Polled Bull 
with black ears and nose. The present flock consists of three 
Cows, four Steers, one BuB, and ton Calves. 
