The English Herd Books, from the year 1822, have recorded pedigrees of the Short-horns existing nearly a century back, and as they have since increased and multiplied, down to the present time; but they have given us pedigrees only. Had they been accompanied with historical matter relating to their breeders, and the distinguished animals of their times, they would have added much of both interest and instruction. Some such notes have been written by accurate Observers, and preserved, from which we have gleaned valuable informa tion; but the information derived from them is less full and complete than could be wished. Inference and guess-work have been measurably resorted to by some writers in past days to give color to various facts and theories Of their own — some Of them right, and some erroneous. In the examination of authorities leading to the present work many contradictory statements have been canvassed, and an effort has been made to separate the probable from the improbable; yet it is not denied that errors may be found in these pages, so difficult has it been to detect and separate fact from Opinion, truth from imagination.