BREEDING OP HORSES. 125 



results which are patent to the experience of many, or with black 

 and white breeds of swine. 



I have not spoken of these influences because Herbert, Stone- 

 henge, McGillivray, Carpenter, Goodale and others have written, or 

 placed theory and facts before the public, but because I have seen 

 practically the operations of these influences or phenomena, not 

 only in horses but swine and dogs. 



' Thus the breeder has not only the complex influences of the 

 sire and dam on their progeny to care for in his plans, but also 

 the efiect of former breeding of the same dam, and "taking back" 

 as it is called, in the line of both sire and dam, and still another 

 influence not much believed in and until lately the subject of much 

 amusement in observing the efi'orts of some men whom grooms 

 have thought to be superstitious. 



I refer to mental influences at the time of copulation which may * 

 influence the dam at the period of conception and during pregnancy. 



I do so far believe in and adopt this idea as to always endeavor 

 to control the nervous impulses of both male and female at the 

 time of conception. 



My grooms are always enjoined to place the mare, as far as may 

 be, several hours under the influence of the horse while in heat 

 and before service, and also to avoid other horses and their 

 influences at this time. And to this end I have dispensed with 

 the use of teazers in my stable. 



Within a day or two I have unexpectedly fallen upon an ex- 

 tract from a work written by the physiologist Walker, spoken of, 

 which expresses my belief and convictions so closely and in so 

 much better terms that I decided to offer them in evidence. 

 Speaking of mental organs, he says: "It is evident that in all 

 voluntary acts in which two sexes are engaged, two thinking 

 systems are involved ; and, as the first portion of the thinking 

 system, sensation and observation, is passive or dependent on 

 impression, and the last portion dependent on passion and volition, 

 is active and exciting to locomotion, it is evident that, in the act 

 of reproduction, one or the other sex will be relatively passive, 

 and the other relatively active. Hence the progeny will receive 

 from the one parent the organization in which, in the thinking 

 system, sensation and observation depend, and from the other that 

 in which passion and volition spring ; for the very term repro- 

 duction implies the communication of similar organs and functions, 

 and of the most energetic and characteristic ones." And the writer 



