THE OX. 
3 
THE WILD OR WHITE FOREST BREED. 
manes, consisting of a ridge of coarse hairs upon the neck. The bulls fight for supremacy, and the vanquished submit to the law 
of superior strength. They are very shy and wild, and start off on the approach of danger : and, when they threaten an attack, 
they make circles around the object, approaching nearer at each time. Lord Tankebvillk describes their method of retreat, 
which is eminently characteristic of their wild habits. Like the Red Deer, they place the inequalities of the ground between them 
and their pursuers ; they set off in a kind of walk, which increases to a trot, and then, having got the ground between them and 
the object, they retreat at a gallop, availing themselves of the inequalities of the ground in such a manner, that they will traverse 
the whole park almost without being seen. The females conceal their young, returning to suckle them several times a-day. The 
calves have the instinctive wildness of the parents, couching on the ground like fawns when surprised. It is said that, when one 
of the herd is wounded or disabled from age, the rest will set upon and destroy it; a trait common to other ruminantl.-to the 
Deer,—and even to the Sheep in its wildest and rudest state. These animals can be all readily domesticated. When taken 
young, and treated in the manner of the common oxen, they assume entirely the habits of the domestic race. 
One circumstance common to both these herds of Wild Oxen, is the tendency of the young to deviate from the “ markings,” 
as it is termed, of the parents ; that is, to become altogether black, or altogether white, or to have black ears in place of red ears, 
and so on : these animals are destroyed, and, therefore, the interesting part of the experiment is interrupted of showing what cha¬ 
racters they would assume were they to be left in the natural state. Nothing is better known to breeders than that, by such 
means, all the characters of colour can be preserved in any breed ; thus the North Devon can be kept all red, the Pembroke all 
black, and so on; and this is done from generation to generation, by the course pursued in the case of these wild herds. 
The other parks of England in which the remains of this race have been or are yet preserved, are at Chartley in Stafford¬ 
shire, at Wollaton in Nottinghamshire, at Gisburne in Craven, at Limehall in Cheshire, at Ribbesdale in Yorkshire, and at 
Burton Constable in Yorkshire. 
The wild cattle at Chartley Park, the property of Lord Ferrers, resemble those at Chillingham, but they are of larger 
size, and have the muzzles and ears black. They frequently tend to become entirely black ; and a singular superstition prevails in 
the vicinity, that, when a black calf is born, some calamity impends over the noble house of Ferrers. All the black calves are 
destroyed, and thus, as in the other cases, we are unable to know what ultimate character of colour the race would assume. This 
park is a very ancient one ; it belonged to Devereux, Earl of Essex, andthecattle have existed in it from time immemorial. 
Those which are kept at Bibbesdale are destitute of horns. Polled varieties are still to be found between Stafford and 
Lichfield in a state of perfect domestication. They are of a good size, and are valued by the farmers as dairy cows. 
The breed at Burton Constable, situated in the district of Holderness, perished all in the course of last century of an epi¬ 
demic disorder. They were of large size,—a consequence of the richness of the pastures in which they fed. They had the ears, 
muzzle, and tip of the tail black. 
Other herds of this race appear to have existed in different parts of England, but they have merged in the common breeds of 
the country, and the records of them have been lost. Fortunately, however, for the inquiries of the naturalist, the same animals 
are yet to be found, in that part of the kingdom where we naturally should look for the existence of an indigenous race of cattle, 
namely, Wales, under such circumstances astosetatrest the questions that have been agitated regarding the relation which exists 
between them and the domestic race. 
The ancient Britons, it is known, when their country was overwhelmed by the Koman power, made a brave defence in the 
mountains beyond the Severn, preserving their flocks and herds, in all times the cherished possession of the Celtic nations. Al¬ 
though overrun for a season by the Boman legions, they defended themselves against the Saxon nations with determined courage 
and only yielded at length, at a long posterior period, to the English power when it became too strong to be resisted ; and even 
then they retained their customs, their language, and their national feelings. It is here, as in the countries beyond the Gram¬ 
pians, that we must look for the older races of the domestic oxen of the country. 
It appears from various notices, that a race of cattle, similar to that which we now find at Chillingbam Park and elsewhere, 
existed in Wales so early as the 10th century. Howell Dha, surnamed the Good, describes certain cattle of Wales as being 
white, and having red ears. At a subsequent period, we are informed that, as a compensation for offences committed against cer¬ 
tain Princes of Wales, there were demanded 100 white cows with red ears ; but that, if the cattle were of a black colour, 150 
were to be given. When the Princes of Wales were compelled to render homage to the Kings of England, the same kinds of 
cattle, we are informed, were sometimes rendered in acknowledgement of the sovereignty. Inan old history of Flanders, quoted 
by Holinshed, it is stated that the lady of the Lord de Breuse, in order to appease King John, whom she and her husband 
had mortally offended, sent to the Queen a present of 400 kine and one bull, all of white colour except the ears, which were red. 
The individuals of this race yet existing in Wales are found chiefly in the county of Pembroke, where they have been kept 
