SECRETARY'S REPORT.' 79 



ewes were all white and woolly ; the ram was quite different, — of 

 a chocolate color, and hairy like a goat. The progeny were of 

 course crosses, but bore a strong resemblance to the male parent. 

 The next season. Dr. Wells obtained a ram of precisely the same 

 breed as the ewes, but the progeny showed distinct marks of re- 

 semblance to the former ram, in color and covering. The same 

 thing occurred on neighboring estates under like circumstances. 



Six very superior pure-bred black-faced horned ewes, belonging 

 to Mr. H. Shaw of Leochel-Cushnie, were served by a Leicester 

 ram, (white-faced and hornless.) The lambs were crosses. The 

 next year they were served by a ram of exactly the same breed as 

 the ewes themselves. To Mr. Shaw's astonishment the lambs 

 were without an exception hornless and brownish in the face, in- 

 stead of being black and horned. The third year (1846) they were 

 again served by a superior ram of their own breed, and again the 

 lambs were mongrels, but showed less of the Leicester characteris- 

 tics than before. Mr. Shaw at last parted from these fine ewes 

 without obtaining a single pure-bred lamb.* 



" It has been noticed that a well bred bitch, if she have been 

 impregnated by a mongrel dog, will not although lined subse- 

 quently by a pure dog, bear thorough-bred puppies in the next two 

 or three litters. "■}■ 



The like occurrence has been noticed in respect of the sow. " A 

 sow of the black and white breed became pregnant by a boar of 

 the wild breed of a deep chestnut color. The pigs produced were 

 duly mixed, the color of the boar being in some very predominant. 

 The sow being afterwards put to a boar of the same breed as her- 

 self, some of the produce were still stained or marked with the 

 chestnut color which prevailed in the first litter and the same 

 occuri'ed after a third impregnation, the boar being then of the 

 same kind as herself. What adds to the force of this case is that 

 in the CQurse of many years' observation the breed in question was 

 never known to produce progeny having the slightest tinge of 

 chestnut color. ;|; 



The above are a few of the many instances on record tending to 

 show the influence of a first impregnation upon subsequent pro- 

 geny by other males. Not a few might also be given showing that 



* Journal of Medical Science, 1850. 



t Kirke's Physiology. 



t Philosophical Transactions for 1821. 



