ACCIDENTAL DEFECTS TRANSMITTED. 87 



Now, the question in relation to how far the male parent 

 affects the nature and structure of the animal, and how far the 

 female affects them, is illustrated to some extent by the connec- 

 tions between the jackass tribe and the horse tribe. In mating 

 the two together to produce offspring, if we mate the horse with 

 the genet, we have what is called the jinney ; if we mate the 

 jack with a mare, we have what is called a mule. Well, what 

 are these distinctive traits, and are they universal. If we mate 

 a jackass with a mare, we get an animal that has the ears and 

 mane and tail and bray of the jackass, universally ; if we mate 

 a horse with a jill, we have a mane and tail and ears more like 

 the horse tribe, and we have the voice of a horse, almost univer- 

 sally ; and in the mule we have the bray of the jackass. Now, 

 this would seem to show — and I believe it is somewhat conceded 

 by horse-men — that the horse fixes the limb qualities of the 

 offspring. That is, if you use a horse that is sound in all his 

 limbs, that has a peculiar gait, the gait of the offspring is more 

 likely to partake of the character of that of the horse than of 

 the mare ; and if the horse has any defect, such as interfering, 

 or any limb defect, the offspring is more likely to take those 

 defects from the horse than from the mare. 



Professor Chadbourne. I think we have a perfect right, 

 since Professor Agassiz is here, (and I hope he will recognize 

 the right,) to get from him all we can ; and therefore I hope he 

 will pardon me for asking a few questions which I have had 

 presented to me from time to time, and which I know he is 

 abundantly able to answer, because he has made this subject a 

 study, and I feel that we shall gain as much profit by drawing 

 him out as we could in any other way. 



One question that has come to my mind is in reference to the 

 effect of the injury of animals upon reproduction. I would 

 like to know if he has any information in regard to that. For 

 instance, if a male has received any particular injury, and 

 recovered from it — say to its limbs or its horns — what effect has 

 that upon the offspring ? 



Professor Agassiz. I know nothing whatsoever upon that 

 subject. I have never had an opportunity to watch a case where 

 one or the other of the parents had any particular defect. I 

 have no particular information upon it — only a general impres- 

 sion. With regard to the point on which Mr. Perkins has 



