Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/304

280 park covers the side of a hill, rising to about 800 feet above the Castle, and faces nearly due north.* Entering at the lower side, we very soon saw, at some distance off above us, fifteen beasts — cows, yearlings and calves — just below a big wood, into which they all gradually disappeared. After about half an hour, several — at first about five, then two or three, and a single one or two — came down at a good pace out of the wood, downhill and towards our left, and disappeared again into another wood on that side. After again waiting for some time without seeing anything more of the cattle, we came away, as Mickie wanted to get back in time to take charge of a party he was expecting. I afterwards went, with this party, up the road on the west side of the park to about two hundred feet from the top of the hill. When we entered the park, and going some little way further onwards and upwards, we presently heard the herd, or at least the bulls, below us, bellowing — a peculiar sound, almost a cry, very different, I fancied, from the lowing of domestic cattle. On getting out at the end of the wood in which we were, we saw the whole herd, consisting of fifty-nine head, over the tops of the next belt of wood, in the low ground below us ; and a fine sight it was, the herd for the most part standing still, a bull occasionally bellowing and moving a tew steps, two young bulls now aud then indulging in a little butting-match, then one — perhaps a heifer — would "frisk," something like a horse shying, and go curvetting away sideways for a few yards, then suddenly stand still, except that its tail slowly swung from side to side. Some of the party had very soon seen enough and wanted to return, so we were all obliged to go. The view up there was magnificent, all the background to the north being the Cheviots, except a large gap through which we could see into Scotland,? the sea on the east, and a fine panorama of hills on the west. Having seen the party off the premises, Mickie took me to see the hybrid calves, at the farm, by a wild bull out of short-horn cows. They consist of a heifer born June 10th last (the cow's first calf) and a bull born June 17th. The latter's ears are rather bright red inside and nearly half their length externally, the two colours in no way blending, but meeting abruptly ; nose red, smutted with black, and

It is said to contain 1500 acres of wood. Cattle have existed here in a semi-wild state for many generations. The park itself is mentioned in records extending back to 1220.—

+ The old forest formerly extended between Chilhngham and Hamilton, where a similar herd of cattle, with brown ears, still exists.—