The feral cattle, currently numbering 33, which inhabit the Orkney island of Swona, are described. Their behaviour while foraging for seaweed is compared with thatof sheep, and aspects of their social behaviour and population structure are compared with what has been observed among the Chillingham white cattle.

The standard of the breed has been drawn up on the basis of the available literature and of direct observations made on the only flock of registered animals. It is hoped that the programme for the conservation of this breed will now be launched.

Many valuable local breeds of farm animals in the USSR have either been lost or are in an endangered state. Concern about this loss of gene resources has led to the inclusion of a genetic resources programme in the overall state plan for the genetic improvement of livestock. It includes programmes for live animal conservation and setting up of gene banks. The former activity is carried out in special state gene pool farms, one for each geographical zone, where 500 purebred cows are maintained under a rotational outbred system of mating. Semen banks of most local breeds of livestock have also been established at animal husbandry institutes. Current research emphasis is on long term embryo storage and establishment of banks of somatic cells of local breeds.

In this paper, a brief description is given of the origin and introduction of Black Criollo Sheep in Brazil, together with genetic characteristics and some data on the level of production, its meat and wool. It is noted that the number of those sheep is decreasing quickly and this valuable genetic stock is rapidly heading towards extinction.

A historical perspective of mpwapwa cattle is presented. Then a brief account of breed description, habitat and performance is given.

The wild ancestor of the present day domestic horse was equus ferus Woddaert which included two distinct sub-species - the tarpan and the taki or the Ptzevalsky horse. The tarpan is the main ancestor of the- Present day domestic type. Its domestication irst started in East Europe in the Neolithic period from where it spread in different directions, moving in successive waves to the Carpathian Basin and Moravia in the west, Caucasus in the southeast and Mesopotamia in the Near East, finally reaching western Europe in the Bronze Age.

The early domestic horses were small compared to present day animals, measuring only 137 cm at the withers. They were chiefly used to provide mobile power - either draught or riding. Later, during the Iron Age, the Scythians brought these eastern horses to Austria, Italy and Greece, where they were much in demand for their superior power and size, a result of conscious breeding by the Scythians. In contrast, the horses indigenous to the western half of Europe, represented by the Celtic horse, were smaller and slender. These were later improved by crossing with the eastern Scythian horses. From the Greeks, the eastern horses reached the Romans and contributed to the development of the Roman horse.,