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NELLORE MANUAL.

DOMESTIC ANIMALS.— Nellore breed of cattle. — Early celebrity. — Annual Cattle Show at Addanki, Nellore Exhibition.— Average price of stock. — Pasturage. Wild ANIMALS. Game.- Deaths by wild beasts.-- List of mammals. - List of birds.-List of reptiles. Animal productions that form objects of commerce.

Nellore breed of cattle have a wide reputation throughout India, but they are to be found in perfection only in the Ongole and Kandukur Taluqs of this district, and the Rajapett and Vinukonda Taluqs of Kistna. These cattle are found to degenerate very rapidly when removed to other parts of the country unless particularly well fed.

It has been remarked that cattle breeding generally receives most attention in those countries where circumstances of one kind or another are adverse to the extensive prosecution of agriculture. Mr. Travers in the first settlement report of this district for fusli 1211 (1801-2) remarks the superior quality of the cattle and thus accounts for it :

"Having been repeatedly deprived oftheir cultivation when brought to maturity, experience pointed out to the inhabitants of these districts the want of security for the fruits of their labor : as a substitute affording them this advantage, their attention and labor has been given to the rearing of large herds of black cattle of a superior breed much in demand, which they secured from the grasp of renters by moving them from their villages to those neighbouring ; that from the system of petty renters were generally under a separate authority.

"From this cause a large portion of their cultivated lands have been appropriated to pasture, and the fear of my interference therein is one cause to which I ascribe their anxiety to keep me ignorant of their extent, as also a supposition that by my immediately forming rents upon such accounts as I could obtain, they would embrace this favorite pursuit with other advantages resulting from my ignorance in this respect."

From a return sent by Mr. Travers to the Board of Revenue on 16th June 1803 the number of horned cattle were stated to be :

Nellore ...

237,931 54,474

...

Ongole

292,405 10