Delineations of the Ox Tribe: The Natural History of Bulls, Bisons, and Buffaloes.: Exhibiting all the Known Species and the More Remarkable Varieties of the Genus Bos.Vasey, George
Science
Delineations of the Ox Tribe: The Natural History of Bulls, Bisons, and Buffaloes.: Exhibiting all the Known Species and the More Remarkable Varieties of the Genus Bos.
Vasey, George
American bison; Buffaloes; Cattle; Oxen
That their colour is invariably white is simply owing to the care that
is taken to destroy all the calves that are born of a different
description. It is pretty well known to the farmers about Chillingham
(although pains are taken to conceal the fact,) that the wild cows in
the park not unfrequently drop calves variously spotted. With respect to
the redness of the ears, this is by no means an invariable character,
many young ones having been produced without that distinctive mark; and
Bewick records, that about twenty years before he wrote, there existed a
few in the herd with _black_ ears, but they were destroyed. So far from
the character here given of the horns being confined to those white
cattle, it is precisely the description of the horns of the Kyloe oxen,
or black cattle. The investiture of some of the bulls with a mane is
equally gratuitous; Cole, who was park-keeper for more than forty years,
and of course had ample means of observation, distinctly informed me
that they had no mane, but only some curly hair, about the neck, which
is likewise an attribute of the Kyloe Oxen.
Culley goes on to say: "From the nature of their pasture, and the
frequent agitation they are put into by the curiosity of strangers, it
is scarce to be expected that they should get very fat; yet the six
years old oxen are generally very good beef, from whence it may be
fairly supposed, that in proper situations they would feed well."
It would naturally be inferred from this, that the park in which they
are kept is visited by strangers every day, who are allowed to drive
them about, and disturb them in their feeding and ruminating, as boys
hunt geese or donkeys on a common. This, however, is so far from being
the case, that it frequently happens that the park is not visited for
many weeks in succession, and certainly on an average it is not visited
once a week. What is here meant by "the nature of their pasture," and
"in proper situations they would feed well," it is difficult to say. The
fact is, their pasture is both good and extensive, and they feed as well
as animals always do who are left to themselves with plenty of food.
Their behaviour to strangers is thus described: "At the first appearance
of any person, they set off at full speed, and gallop a considerable
distance, when they make a wheel round, and come boldly up again,
tossing their heads in a menacing manner; on a sudden, they make a full
stop, at a distance of forty or fifty yards, looking wildly at the
object of their surprise; but upon the least motion being made, they
turn round again, and gallop off with equal speed; but forming a shorter
circle, and, returning with a bolder and more threatening aspect, they
approach much nearer, when they make another stand, and again gallop
off. This they do several times, shortening their distance, and
approaching nearer, till they come within a few yards, when most people
think it prudent to leave them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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