THE ANCIENT WHITE CATTLE OF BRITAIN AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. By G. Kenneth Whitehead.

1953 1st edition. 4to (192 x 254mm). Pp174. B/w photographs, bibliography. Binding B. Red boards, spine titled in black, black bull's head motif to upper board, spine titled in black.

" After describing the probable origin and reasons for the colour of the white cattle herds, Mr. Whitehead presents a full descriptive history of all the known herds of white cattle, both ancient and modern, wild or domesticated, that have existed in the British Isles. ...Mr. Whitehead's book supersedes the only other book on the subject - Storey's [sic] Wild White Cattle of Great Britain published over seventy years ago - and is likely to be the standard work on the subject for many years to come". Chapters include: The origins of the white cattle herds; The aurochs - Bos primigenius; Why white?; The wild cattle of Chillingham; The Cadzow herd; The Ex-Chartley herd at Woburn; The Vaynol Park herd; The Dynevor herd - a domesticated herd of great antiquity; British whites - the domesticated descendants of wild cattle; A descriptive list of the ancient and modern herds of white cattle in Britain. Appendices include:- Horned white cattle list - list of wild cattle; Horned white cattle list - list of domesticated or semi-domesticated herds; Polled white cattle - list of wild cattle herds; Polled white cattle - list of domesticated or semi-domesticated herds; Some horn and head measurements of white cattle.