.2.86 Mr. hunter’s Account of 
The bellow of the free martin is fimilar to that of an 
ox, which is not at all like that of a bull; it is more of 
the cow, although not exactly that. 
The meat is alfo iimilar to that of the oxorfpayed 
heifer, viz. much finer in the fibre than eithei' the bull 
or cow.; and they .are more fufceptibJe of growing fat 
with good food. By fome they are fuppofed to exceed 
the ox and heifer in delicacy of food, and bear a higher 
price at market. 
However, it fee ms that this is not univerfal; for I was 
lately informed by Charles palmer, efq. of Luckley in 
Berkfhire, that there was a free martin killed in his 
neighbourhood, and, from the general idea of its being 
better meat than common, every neighbour befpoke a 
piece, which turned out nearly .as bad as bull beef, at leaf! 
worfe than that of a cow. It is probable, that this might 
arife from this one having more the properties of the 
bull than the cow, as we fhall fee hereafter that they are 
fometimes more the one than the other (r) -' 
Free 
(e) The Romans called the bull taurus: they, however, talked of taura in 
the feminine gender. And Stephens obferves, that it was thought the Romans 
meant by taura 9 barren cows, and called them by this name becaufe they 
did not conceive any more than bulls. He alfo quotes a paiTage from 
columella, lib. vi, cap. 22. “ and like the taura^ which occupy the place of 
5 “ fertile 
