The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-28

WILD CATTLE IN GREAT BRITAIN.
The Breed Preserved in Few JeaI-
OusIy Guarded Herds.
The Sketch

Inc SkeIcn.
There is some doubt concerning the origi-
nal stock from which the few jealousy pre-
served herds of wild cattle are descended.
Some authorities believe them 20 have
sprung from imported animals turned feral,
but the weight of opinion favors the theory
that they are descendants of the Jnagnif-
cent beast described by Caesar. Whalever
their ancestry, the breed of white cattle is
of high antiquity. The great mobiles recog
niZed that the wild must disappear be-
fore the steady increase OF population and
the destruction of the forests which shell
tered him, and we owe it to their ex srtions
mat me t species survives So9sderan1e
they carried, were inclOSed by royal license,
and special laws were enacted in the inter-
eStS of the animals so preserved. The PEN
atty for poaching in one of these inclosed
parks was three times as severe or savage
as that inflicted upon the unfortunate who
unlawfully killed game in natural forest.
After interviewing with camera the COM
paratiVely pacific beasts in the cattle sheds
in the ZOO / am inclined to think that
poachers in parks which contained wild cat
tie must have been few. The man who with
bow or spear essayed attack upon herd or
wild cattle in large captivity would rarely
have required from the hands of his fellow
men afterward more than burial.
There are only seven herds now in ex-
istence. Thanks to the initiative of the
British association, a very interesting and
valuable report on these was prepared some
ten years ago. The oldest herd is that of
Chillingham Park, in Northumberland The
park was originally inclosed about 1920. or
possibly earlier. 1t row covers some lloO
nous Chilingham herd numbered in 1886
sixty head. Charley Park, near Uttoxeter,
about the middle of the thirteenth century;
the last published account of the herd 1t
contains appeared in April, 1895, when the
total was fOrty-three head. CadZow Park.
Hamilton, N. b.. occupies portion of the
old CALIFORNIAN forest. in which Bruce Is
said to have hunted wild cattle in 1920; there
inclosed In 1886 the herd consisted of sixty
head. These three parks must be regarded
as distinct from others, inasmuch as they
are sanctuarieS for wild cattle, or, at least,
portions of the original areas. The K1,mory
inclosure at the head of Lochgilphead was
denuded of the herd Ii had sheltered for
centuries in 1856 when c. w Duff Asshe-
ton Smith purchased the remaining thirty
two head and transferred them to Vaynol
years previously. founded herd with TWEEN
ty-two animals from Kilmory. The Lyme
(Cheshlre) herd, estabhshed IN the TOUR
teenth century, ceased TO exist in 1885. The
Somerford herd dates back only couple of
hundred years or So while those at Blick-
ling and WOOdbastick. in Norfolk, are on
shoots from the now extinct Middleton herd.
In addition TO the herds mentioned. some
twelve or thirteen others have dwindled TO
extinction with the last one hundred years.
Although the survivors are descended
from the same stock, certain herds present
distinctive characteristics, which, unfortu-
nately. the owners aim at preserving IL Is
unfortunate, because the system OF lnbreed-
ing with these small groups Of cattle must
bring about depreciation IN size ana SIAM
ina and. within measurable distance OF
time result in extinction. The Chillingham
cattle for example, have boldly up-curving
horns, red muzzle. and are red inside the
ears: the Charley cattle have spreading
horns and their muzzles and interior of
their ears are black.
Let 1t not be supposed that the calves of
wild cattle are always white; mans agency.
artificial selection, has produced the
wild white OK" and the uniformity OF
color is produced by the slaughter of calves
which outrage the tradition by entering the
world in "A coat other than pure white. The
SOmprfOr0 THESE
wild cattle are polled, they are domesti-,
Gated, and are not necessarily white, the
herd including animals blotched and fiecked
with black and brown.