Cattalo

Not so long ago (reported the Popular Science Monthly last fortnight) 25 Canadian families sat down in their respective abodes to dine upon a viand new and strange. An unknown meat had been sent with the compliments of the Government, which requested only that each family relate the sensations experienced by its collective palate.

Nine families could not stomach the exotic roast. Sixteen families reported having enjoyed their meal to the utmost. The Government was elated. "That was a tough old bull," said officials. "All would have relished tender calf meat." Experiments continued upon:

Cattaloes. Purpospful breeding has increased Canada's dwindling buffalo herd from a few score head to over 11,000. In Buffalo Park, at Wainwright, Alberta, some of the shaggy loggerheads were experimentally crossed with Angus, Hereford and shorthorn cows. The resultant "cattaloes" grew up thick-hided, long-haired, with all the hardiness of buffaloes and most of the meat of cattle. They seemed excellent range animals for the vast northern territories (which Arctic explorers have long been recommending for stock-raising), as they can be left to graze all winter without prepared food or shelter. Asians have long crossed the yak, a draft animal, with cattle, getting beef even finer-grained than steer's meat. Present Canadian experiments are upon a "yakattalo," a tri-brid that may prove juiciest of all.

*No mention was made of the fertility of these new strains. The mule (donkey and horse), as every one knows, is sterile and cannot reproduce his kind; likewise the "turken" (turkey and chicken) (TIME, Dec. 14, MISCELLANY), the "liger" and "tigon" (lion and tiger hybrids). This factor bears directly upon such hybrids' commercial value. Great would be the fortune of that showman who could advertise an "eleraffe" or "rhinocerdile," whether the animal was sterile or not. Greater would be that showman's fraud, however. It is impossible to cross animals not of the same order or family.