From William Yarrell   [December 1838]

Zoological memorandum—

For Cha^s. Darwin Esq^r.—from M^r. W^m. Yarrell—

Extract from a paper “On the Wild Cattle of Chillingham Park— by L. Hindmarsh Esqr of Alnwick.¹

“By taking the calves at a very early age and treating them gently, the present Keeper succeeded in domesticating an ox and a cow. They became as tame as domestic animals, and the ox fed as rapidly as a short horned steer. He lived 18 years, and when at his best was computed at 8 cwt and 14 lbs. The cow only lived 5 or 6 years. She gave little milk, but the quality was rich. She was crossed by a country bull; but her progeny very closely resembled herself, being entirely white, excepting the ears, which were brown,* and the legs which were mottled.— Annals of Nat. Hist— p. 279 & 280. Dec^r. 1^st. 1838.²

*The character of the whole breed— Y.