two-year-old. She was the highest priced animal at Colonel Fraser's sale, costing 67 guineas, and the price was justified by the excellent breeding qualities which she developed. At Tillyfour in 1871 was purchased Dora 1282 of the Daisy branch of the Queen tribe. She also proved a good investment, and besides breeding well, gained the first prize of the Highland Society at Glasgow in 1874. Her most notable produce were the bull Dragon 1178 used for some time in the Tillyfour herd; and the heifers Dorinda 2575 and Dewdrop 2581. In 1872 three animals were bought from the late Mr George Brown, Westertown. They were the bull Pluto 602 of the Victoria family, and the heifers Duchess 3rd 943 and Duchess 4th 944 of the Duchess branch of the Queen tribe. The sum paid for the three was 200 guineas. At Portlethen in March 1873, a pair of two-year-old heifers were acquired for 150 guineas: they were Cherry Blossom 901 and Flower Girl 895, the former of the Queen tribe, and the latter of the Kinnaird Fanny tribe. From Westertown, the same year, came Duchess 7th 1197 of the Duchess family, and Rose of Aboyne 1596 of the Rose family, the price of the pair having been 120 guineas. At Mr Walker's sale at Portlethen in 1873 two cows were bought, and at Drumin that year Gem 1595 of the Pride family and Beauty of Drumin 939 of Mr Skinner's Beauty family were bought for 131 guineas. At Mr Walker's dispersion at Balquharn, in 1874, was secured Madge of Portlethen 1217 of the Tillyfour Ruth family, full of Keillor blood. She herself won the first prize at the International show at Kilburn, and her son Monarch 1182 was a firstprize Highland Society winner, and gained the cup presented by Her Majesty the Queen at the Tarland show. Madge and five of her family carried off the prize awarded to the best group of polled cattle at the Royal Northern show in 1878. From Mr Ferguson, Kinnochtry, the Princess cows, Princess of Aboyne 1st 2572 and Princess

2nd 2570, were obtained for 120 guineas. The bull Duke of Perth 357 was secured at the Westertown dispersion in 1874. At Mr Hannay's sale at Corskie in 1877 the bull Warrior 1291, of the Rothiemay Victoria strain, was purchased for 155 guineas. He was the first-prize yearling at the Highland Society's show, and his dam sold for 111 guineas and his sire Young Viscount 736 for 225 guineas. Several animals were bought at the Indego, Auchlossan, Melville, Glamis, and Rothiemay sales. In 1878, at Tillyfour, Pride of Mulben 2nd 2359 was bought for 91 guineas and Vine 9th 3256 for 72 guineas; and at the Tillyfour dispersion in 1880, Charmer 3rd 3251 of the Queen tribe was obtained for 150 guineas.

The herd was thus based on the very best obtainable material, and was collected at an expense of about £2000. Showing was rarely resorted to, the object having been to keep a class of regular and useful breeding animals. A number of first-rate bulls were bred in the herd, and several of these were sold to the Marquis's tenantry on favourable terms. In this way, as well as others, the herd exerted a most beneficial influence. When specimens from the herd were exhibited they obtained high honours at the national and local shows. Thus Lord Huntly had the rare fortune of gaining the Highland Society's first prizes for aged bulls and cows at Glasgow in 1875, with Duke of Perth and Dora. Monarch was also a first-prize bull at the Highland Society, and his dam Madge, as already mentioned, was the first-prize cow at Kilburn in 1879. The chief distinction of the herd, and one that perhaps afforded its owner more satisfaction than any other, was the rearing of the Madge family. Madge proved a first-rate breeder, and her offspring were uniformly good. A large draft was sold from the herd in 1879, when 37 head averaged over £44; and in 1881 the herd was dispersed, the average for 32 head being over £50. The total proceeds of these two public sales was over £3200.

At the 1879 sale, Mr M'Combie of Tillyfour bought a good many animals, chiefly representatives of the various branches of the Queen tribe. Lord Tweedmouth also made several important purchases. At the sale in 1881, old Madge 1217 fell to the bid of Mr Smith, Powrie, for 100 guineas. Charmer 3rd 3251 was taken by Mr Wilken, Waterside, for the Honourable J. H. Pope, the Canadian Minister of Agriculture, for 100 guineas. Mr BurdettCoutts bought Cowslip 2nd 3004 for 100 guineas, and Mr Greenfield of Beechwood secured Vine 9th 3256 for 115 guineas.

Duff House.

Few herds of polled cattle have had a more distinguished career than that which belonged to the Earl of Fife at Duff House, near Banff. For several years it occupied a leading position in the national and local show-yards, and during its short existence was instrumental in effecting considerable improvement among the live stock of the country. The bulk of the herd was taken over at valuation by Mr Hannay, Gavenwood; and as we shall have occasion to give an account of the polled cattle at Gavenwood, it is unnecessary here to enter minutely into the breeding and history of Lord Fife's stock. It is desirable, however, to indicate briefly the materials of which the Duff House herd was composed, and to record a few of its principal performances in the show-yard. Lord Fife founded his herd by the purchase, at Colonel Fraser's sale at Castle Fraser in 1870, of the cow Fanny of Corskie 1014 by Priam 467, for 53 guineas, and the bull-calf, Lord Ornoch 445 out of Fanny 1014 and after Jamie of Easter Skene 367, for 40 guineas. At the Easter Skene draft sale the same year was bought Beauty of Easter Skene 996, a member of the Keillor Favourite tribe, for 35 guineas. At Mr Tayler's sale at Rothiemay in 1872 was purchased Linnet 1706 of the Drumin Lucy family, for 23 guineas,

and the very fine heifer, Heather Blossom 1189 of the Rothiemay Victoria family, for 30 guineas. In 1872 there was also acquired at Sir George Macpherson Grant's sale the valuable Erica cow, Erica 4th 1697, for 60 guineas. From Mr Skinner's sale at Drumin in 1873 came Patience of Corskie 1932 of the Drumin Rose family, for 40 guineas, and Cowslip 1709 of the Drumin Lucy sort, for 30 guineas. The cow Corskie 23rd B. 1062 was added at the Bognie dispersion in 1874, for 37 guineas, and Major of Bognie 444 came from the same place at a similar price. The splendid Pride heifer, Lilias of Tillyfour 1795, out of Pride of Aberdeen 5th 1174, was a purchase at Mr M'Combie's sale in 1874, for 46 guineas. No other animal was added to the herd from public sales. In addition, however, to the acquisitions made to the herd publicly, its numbers and value were enhanced by private treaty. In fact, a feature in the collection of this famous herd was the additions made to it privately. We shall mention only the more important of these transactions. Palmerston 374, after winning the first prize in the aged class at the Highland Society's Dumfries show in 1870, was bought from Mr Walker, Portlethen, and proved a useful and successful stock sire.

A great many animals were bought in the Alford and Tarland districts from Mr Shaw, Bogfern; Mr Hunter, Confunderland; Mr Farquharson, East-Town, and Mr Strachan, Wester Fowlis. Among these may be named the fine cow Corriemulzie 1701, descended from the Keillor herd, the second-prize cow at Stirling in 1873. From Mr Walker, Montbletton; Mr Morrison, Auchlin, and Mr Barclay, Yonderton, a large number of purchases were made. The animals got from the Montbletton herd were exceedingly fortunate. They included Jinny 1017, the dam of Innes 1934, the first-prize cow at the Highland Society's show at Aberdeen in 1876; Blackbird of Corskie 1704, the dam of the first-prize cow at Perth in 1879; and

others of note. In 1873 a very important addition was made. In that year a bull-calf was bought from Mr Duff, Hillockhead, Glass. The bull was called Young Viscount 736, and his fame has travelled wherever the polled breed is known. A specimen of the Ballindalloch Erica family, he was shown as a yearling at the Highland Society's show at Inverness in 1874, as a two-year-old at Glasgow in 1875, and in the aged class at Aberdeen in 1876, and on each occasion he gained the first prize. He subsequently gained the challenge cup and the M'Combie prize at the Royal Northern at Aberdeen, and having been sold to Sir George Macpherson Grant for 225 guineas, won for him the first and champion prizes at the International show at Kilburn in 1879. He was used in the Duff House, Gavenwood, and Ballindalloch herds with excellent results. In 1874, at the Inverness show of the Highland Society, the bull Gainsborough 596, who had won the first prize there, was acquired from Mr Bowie, Mains of Kelly. The secondprize bull at this show, John Bright 642, bred at Bognie, was also used in the herd.

From

With such fine material, and under able management, the Duff House herd came rapidly to the front. 1872 to 1877 it supplied many of the Highland Society's prize-winners. The greatest success was achieved in 1876 at the National Society's meeting at Aberdeen, where there was an unusually grand display of polled cattle. Lord Fife was then first for aged bulls with Young Viscount 736; first for two-year-old bulls with St Clair 1160; very highly commended for the yearling bull Gladiolus 1161; first for cows with Innes 1934; fourth for cows with Patience 1932; very highly commended with Blackbird 1704; commended with Crocus 1400; and second for two-yearold heifers with Maria 2nd 3015. As we have said, the herd was valued over to Mr Hannay, Gavenwood, and a notice of its subsequent progress will be found under the heading "Existing Herds."