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yoked to a plough, and driven by the ploughman entirely by the voice, without any assistance either from reins or driver.

The Hungarian ox becomes the best and most durable draught ox in the world, remaining useful throughout a long series of years, to be sent at last to slaughter.

The young ox is broken-in in his fourth year, and experience has shown that there is hardly a breed of horses in the world that can compete with the Hungarian ox as a means to agriculture.

The Podolian is an aboriginal race of cattle descended from the wild Urus (Bos primigenius, Bojanus). Their colour is generally white or silver grey, with variations passing into dark grey, which shade is particularly seen in the bulls. Podolian oxen are much sought after for fattening purposes. Nearly seventy-five per cent. of the oxen slaughtered at Vienna belong to this race. The meat is very much esteemed, and is distinguished for its tenderness and agreeable flavour. It is as working oxen that these cattle are most valued. They will travel two-and-a-quarter miles per hour when

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yoked to an empty waggon, and one-and-a-half mile per hour when drawing a load. This race is distributed over the greater part of Galicia. The Podolian draught oxen have valuable qualities which render them exceedingly useful in the wide stretching plains which constitute their home.

The Murzthal race is especially prized for its milk-giving properties, and its suitability for draught purposes. The cows have been known to produce 775 gallons per annum, and 464 gallons is

given as a usual average. These beautiful cattle are natives of Austria; they are considered to be closely allied to the Hungarian cattle. The oxen work from three to eight years, after which they are fatted. The colour of the hair is badger grey, with brighter stripes round the muzzle; colour rings round the eyes, and dark coloured belly.

The white Norrisch race is known in Styria as the Mariahofer breed. From these and the Murzthalers (another Styrian breed) excellent fat oxen can be obtained. They are distinguished by

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their small horns, small well-bred head, bright eyes, handsome neck, broad hips, great depth of barrel, short legs, and fine skin. The Murzthalers have the advantage over the Mariahofers in having smaller horns, and being lighter in bone, but the latter are more powerfully developed.

The Montafuner race is principally found in the Montafun Valley, but also in the Bregenzer Forest, and in the Bavarian Allgau.

The Mariahof cattle are natives of Western Styria, are noted as milking cattle, and also fatten readily. They are a uniformly coloured race, often white, but sometimes inclining to lighter and darker degrees of fawn. They number nearly 300,000 head.. (See cut, p. 112.)

This tribe, which is connected with the Swiss cattle, belongs to the heavy average group. The cows reach a live weight of from 8 to 9 cwt., being lighter than the Swiss and heavier than the Allgauer.

The colour does not generally differ from that of the Swiss race

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These

brown and brownish grey colours are predominant. animals are highly distinguished for their good temper, and their capabilities for draught and fattening purposes are satisfactory.

The Egerland cattle resemble the reddish brown Tyrolese race in their general characters, and are said to be the result of the crossing of the Bohemian native race with Zillerthal bulls. They have small heads, and are of a nearly uniform dark reddish brown colour. The average weight of a full-grown ox may reach as much as 91 cwt., and the animal will fetch from £20 to £22 10S.

The Egerlander prides himself upon the beautiful and regularly formed horns of his oxen, and he assists to develop them whenever their growth is not naturally uniform. This is done by weights, which are connected by cords to rollers attached to the roof of the stables; these weights thus follow all the movements of the heads of the cattle; clamps are also used, by means of which the horns, after having been softened with grease, are pressed either forwards, backwards, or sideways, as may be required. (See cut, p. 107.)

The animals of the Pinzgau breed are greatly valued, not only for their milk-giving properties, but on account of their rapid development. (See cut, p. 109.)

This race is the result of a cross of the Simmenthal breed with the ancient domestic cattle of the country; it is distributed nearly throughout the whole of the Salzburg region, and in certain parts of the Tyrol adjacent, in Upper Austria, and parts of Bavaria. It has a very symmetrical and pleasing appearance, and is of a red colour, varying from light red to brownish red, with many white patches. It is a very desirable butcher's race.

The so-called "Kuhland" district, which takes its name from its suitability for cattle-breeding, is situated in north-western Moravia, on the flanks of the Carpathians. The predominant colour of these cattle is dappled red or cherry red, with large white patches on the head, along the back, and on the belly; they have

96 THE MYSORE OX AND BRAHMIN BULL.

also the finest, softest, silky hair, and the forehead bears a strong tuft of crisped or curled hair. (See cut, p. 117.)

Although of middle height the Kuhland cattle must be classed with the heavier races. The live weight of a cow may be taken at from 6 to 10 cwt.; the cows yield 1 to 3 gallons of milk per day.*

The Mysore ox is deep in the chest, roomy in barrel, fine in the legs, straight-horned, and sleek of coat. The prevailing hue is a light cream colour. It is the carriage ox in India, the Arab among bullocks.

The Indian or Brahmin bull, often called the zebu (Bos indicus), extends over Southern Asia and the Eastern Islands, and is found

also in Eastern Africa. It is common in the north-west Himalayas, but rarely seen in the Nepaul mountains. They are venerated by the Hindus, who object to slaughter them, but use them in harness, and they will travel about thirty miles a day. These oxen have pendulous ears, and are distinguished by a fatty elevated hump

*For the various illustrations of Continental breeds of cattle we are indebted to the "Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England."