The following notice, which will explain itself, appeared in Loudon's 'Magazine of Natural History,' for July, 1828.
"Some Account of a particular Variety of Bull (_Bos Taurus_), now exhibiting in London. By Mrs. Harvey.
"Sir,--Agreeably to your request, Mr. Harvey has taken a portrait of this animal; and as he has made the drawing on the wood himself, the engraving will be a very perfect resemblance.[C] I have, on my part, drawn up the following particulars, from what my husband told me, and I shall be happy if they prove of any interest to you or your readers:--
"This animal belongs to a French woman, who says he was brought from Africa to Bordeaux when a calf; and, after having been shown in different parts of the Continent, was taken to London, and exhibited at the Grand Bazaar in King's Street, Portman Square, last autumn. He is at present five years old, four feet high at the shoulder and seven feet in length, from the horns to the insertion of the tail. The length of his face is one foot eight inches, and the girth round the collar seven feet six inches. His hair is short and silky, and the colour a cream or yellowish white, except two black tufts which appear on each foot. On the back of the neck there is a hump or swelling, which seems confined to this variety. The general aspect of the animal is mild and docile; but, when irritated, his expression is very remarkable, exhibiting itself principally in the eye. This, in its ordinary state, is very peculiar, (fig. 1, _a_,) rising more than one-half above the orbit, and bearing a resemblance to a cup and ball, thus enabling the animal to see on all sides with equal ease. The iris is naturally of a pale blue colour; but, when the animal is irritated, it varies from a very pale blue or lilac to a deep crimson. Its form is also very remarkable, being a small oval, or rather a parallelogram, with the ends cut off, and lying transversely across the ball, (fig. 1, _b_.)
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Eyes of African Bull.]
"The black tufts, mentioned above, are the lateral hoofs (fig. 2), which the animal sheds annually, and which grow to the length of five or six inches. They are not shed together, or at stated periods; for those of the fore-feet, (_a_, _b_,) in this example, are at present of different ages, and, consequently, of different lengths; the difference between them being exactly that represented in the sketch.