ON THE GESTATION OF COWS. 725 
days, the number of cow-calves was only 90, while the number of 
bull-calves was 152. 
I am not aware of any other conclusions that may be deduced 
from the collection of cases which I have made, and, as I have 
already stated, I do not see in what manner the knowledge of these 
conclusions can be practically useful ; but any information elucidat- 
ing the physiology of cattle may be advantageous in some way 
which, at the present moment, I do not foresee. I think it most 
probable that these results will be found generally applicable ; but 
it must always be recollected that they are derived from the observa- 
tions of one breeder only, and, though I think it likely that no other 
man in this country has made similar observations on so large a 
number of individual cases, still it must be admitted that there is 
a possibility that, from the circumstance of my experience having 
been confined to one variety of cattle, and to one farm, there may 
be found a difference in the results to be deduced from a similar 
experiment, if it was tried on land of different quality, and upon 
cattle of some other breed. I will therefore add, that the situation 
of the farm on which my cattle are bred is the northern part of 
Nottinghamshire ; that the soil on which they are always kept is 
either a light sandy soil, or peaty meadows; and that they are of 
the Durham, or improved short-horn breed. 
[This is a most valuable paper. With the exception of the records 
of M. Tessier, we have no authentic account of the usual period 
of utero-gestation in most of our domesticated animals, and his 
table, embracing so large a field, might not satisfy the diligent 
inquirer with regard to any individual race. It is most desirable 
to the breeder to be enabled to calculate, as nearly as possible, 
the period when he may expect the parturition of his cows. 
Many arrangements about the farm may be connected with this, 
and, more particularly, arrangements that have regard to the 
well-doing of the cow, and especially in districts where puer- 
peral fever, or dropping after calving, usually prevails to any 
considerable extent. In the 764 cases which the noble author of 
this paper has placed on record, very nearly six-sevenths of 
them fall within twelve days of each other, and almost one- 
half within five days. What opportunity does this afford the 
breeder to avoid, or successfully to meet, many untoward circum- 
stances which his experience tells him he may expect with regard 
to individual cows, or his breed generally ! 
We have now lying before us “ Annales de f Agriculture 
Francaise” for April 1837, in which M. Lefour describes the 
cattle of the greater part of Germany. He observes that the 
earliest parturitions are about the 240th day, and the latest about 
