Abbess 5th 4956, and Faithful 3rd 4957; and in January 1882 he purchased Brunette 3rd, out of Brunette 2278, and Miss Carnegie, out of Miss Carnegie 4th 4090. Rosebery out of Rose of Boghead 1437 was sold to go to Wales; Abbot 2nd out of Abbess 3rd 3616 was sold to Mr S. Beattie, to go to America; Victoria Seraphina out of Victoria 8th 3615, Milkmaid 4766, Milkmaid 3rd, and Miss Mary out of Mary 2033, were sold to Mr Wilken, Watersidethe two first to go to America. Milkmaid 3rd went to New Zealand; Isabella of Morlich and Emerald were sold to Messrs Galbraith Brothers, Janesville, Wisconsin, America; and Viceroy 3rd was sold to Mr Thomson, America.

The herd has taken a fair position in the show-yard, although no animals are forced for exhibition. They have been shown mostly at the Inverurie, Insch, and Turriff shows, the bull Serapis having, besides prizes at the Highland Society's shows, won numerous local honours.

Benholm Castle.

Mr William Smith's herd was commenced at Stone o' Morphie, Montrose, in 1876. Mr Smith bought, at Lord Airlie's sale at Cortachy that year, the cow Bessie 1442, at £52, 10s. She was then in calf to Belus 749. The calf was a bull. Bessie has had other four bull-calves, and all the five have been prize-takers. Having missed calf in 1880, Bessie was sold fat. The same year Mr Smith purchased Rose of Guynd 2nd 2599, at £38, 17s., from Mr Bowie, Mains of Kelly. She was in calf to Gainsborough 3rd 598; and the calf was Gay Lass 3511, sold to the Earl of Airlie, when one year old, for £60. Mr Smith also sold the dam, with heifer-calf one month old, to Lord Airlie, at £50. The calf was Griselda 3877, sold at Lord Airlie's sale for £73, 10s.-the highest price realised at the sale. The same year there was bought from Mr Scott, Easter

Tulloch, the cow Nightingale 1742, with bull-calf at foot, for £33, 12s. Barmaid 2207 was bought from Mr Walker, Portlethen, and has proved a good breeder. Lively of Powrie 3729 was purchased from Mr Scott, Easter Tulloch; and a few other cows were added. The first stock-bull Mr Smith had was Timour 3rd 1287, bought from Captain Grant of Ecclesgreig, for £36. He was a good bargain-most of his stock having been prize-winners-and he was sold fat for £36. Northesk 1577, after Timour 3rd and out of Bessie 1442, was also used. Animals from the herd have been exhibited only at the county shows of Kincardine and Forfar, and they have been very fortunate-a good many prizes having been gained.

Blairshinnoch.

The foundation of this herd was laid by Mr Stevenson in 1867, when he was tenant of the home-farm of Careston, Forfarshire-then the property of the Earl of Fife. The herd at present consists of thirty females and three bulls. The former are composed of representatives of the Crinoline branch of the Queen tribe,-tracing from Eugenie of Tillyfour 3237 by President 4th 368, and out of Crinoline 204, bred at Tilly four; Lady Jeans of Glenbarry tracing from Nell of Careston 3430 by Damascus 495, and Queen of Rothiemay 3425 by Napoleon 257, both bred by Mr. Tayler of Glenbarry; Rothiemay Georginas from Kate of Careston 3434 by Damascus 495, bred by Mr Tayler; Rothiemay Victorias, from Tibby of Rothiemay 3419 by Napoleon 257, bred by Mr Tayler; and Sabrinas of Arratsmill, from Sabrina 3439, bred by the Hon. Charles Carnegie. In addition to these there are two Montbletton Mayflowers-Minette 4705 and Coronet 4548; a Maud of Tullochallum; a Tillyfour Daisy, out of Vine 9th 3256, sold at Aboyne for 115 guineas; the Erica cow Ella 1205, and Juliet of Easter Skene 3808. The present stock sire

is Edgar Erica 1693, out of Ella 1205 and after the Erica bull Editor 1460. The other bulls used have been Nubian 1294-a son of Gainsborough 596-Blairshinnoch 1307, Bon Accord 446, Colonel of Careston 1305, and Clansman of Careston 1306.

Bridgend.

Mr R. C. Auld, nephew of the late Mr M'Combie of Tillyfour, had the advantage of studying the principles of cattle-breeding under the direction of his uncle. Latterly he was closely associated with Mr M'Combie in the management of the Tilly four herd, and aided him in strengthening it after the sale in 1874, when too large an inroad was made on the stock. Mr Auld was engaged in the selection and preparation of the celebrated champion group at Paris in 1878; and was thus able to materially assist in the greatest victory ever achieved by the Tillyfour herd, and by the polled breed. On the death of his uncle, Mr Auld became tenant of the farm of Bridgend, on the Lynturk property of Mr M'Combie of Easter Skene. Bridgend lies a mile north-west of Tillyfour, and was farmed from a very early date by the late Mr M'Combie. Mr M'Combie soon discovered its value as a breeding and feeding ground; and it is noteworthy that many of the most famous of the Tilly four breeding and fat stock were raised on it. It was here, under John Benzie's care, that the famous ox Black Prince was reared. Mr M'Combie's earliest sales were conducted at Bridgend, the first having occurred more than thirty years ago. Mr Auld took over the stock on Bridgend at valuation, among them being some pedigree polls. To these he determined at once to add some of the best blood obtainable of the tribes so long associated with his uncle's name. We believe the late Mr M'Combie left power to Mr Auld to retain one half of the Tillyfour herd as it

stood at his death, but at the desire of Mr M'Combie's trustees, an arrangement was made by which the whole. herd was submitted to public competition. The sale of the Tillyfour herd took place, as recorded elsewhere, in August 1880, and several selections were made by Mr Auld-viz., Pride of Aberdeen 9th 3253, Duchess 3rd 943, and Pride of Aberdeen 20th, out of Gitana 2578. The most notable of these was, of course, Pride of Aberdeen 9th, for whom Mr Auld gave 270 guineas, the highest price ever paid either publicly or privately for a polled animal. The herd at Bridgend has since been steadily increased, and it has now at its head the unrivalled Pride bull Knight of the Shire 1699, disposed of at the Balquharn dispersion to Mr Auld and Mr Anderson, Wellhouse, for 165 guineas. The chief object aimed at by Mr Auld in forming his herd, was to collect as many representatives as possible of the earlier branches of Mr M'Combie's Queen tribe. There was more difficulty in doing this than would at first sight appear, but Mr Auld has already succeeded in obtaining more representatives of Mr M'Combie's early branches than he himself ever possessed at one time.

We note some of the more prominent animals at Bridgend. The place of honour is occupied by Pride of Aberdeen 9th 3253. This fine cow was one of the prize group at the Paris Exhibition in 1878, being the only member of Mr M'Combie's fashionable Pride family represented in it. She belongs to the most valuable branch of the Pride tribe, and is a grand-daughter of Pride of Aberdeen 581. She was early marked out as an animal that would probably become a grand breeder; and she has not belied that promise. At the Tilly four sale, her two sons Heir of Glory 1746 and Heir of Paris 1917 were much admired, and it was doubtless these proofs of her remarkable breeding properties, combined with her personal merit and high breeding; that induced Mr Auld to determine on