438 NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec, 



those of the year before ; but two were polled and one dun-faced, with 

 very small horns, while the other three were white-faced, with small 

 round horns only. Mr. Shaw at length parted from those fine ewes, 

 without obtaining from them one pure-bred lamb. 



In the case quoted by Darwin of a sow of Western's black-and- 

 white breed, which, after bearing to a chestnut wild boar a litter of 

 cross-bred pigs, produced long after his death, to a boar of her own 

 breed, pigs showing chestnut markings — though this might be put 

 down to reversion, it is noteworthy that Harvey, who mentions this 

 case, adds that on a subsequent impregnation, still by a boar of her 

 own breed, she yet produced pigs, some of which were slightly marked 

 with chestnut. 



Youatt also says (6) : " The boar to whom the sow has her first 

 litter of pigs has a considerable influence on future litters, especially 

 if of a very pure breed. In one instance a black sow was put to a 

 white boar, and afterwards continuously to a black boar for three 

 litters, yet in all these three litters there were white or black-and- 

 white pigs." 



In the " Book of the Rabbit " (7), Mr. Edward McKay, I believe 

 a well-known breeder, is quoted as saying, " The influence of a first 

 sire sometimes extends for generations, i.e., influence of previous sires 

 over offspring by other sires out of the same dam. I have known 

 curious cases, which I cannot help thinking are the result of the 

 above ; for instance, a silver-grey doe was put to a Himalayan buck, 

 afterwards to a Dutch sire, and afterwards to a buck of her own 

 class, and in every succeeding litter, for several generations, were 

 youngsters of all the above kinds. This may seem improbable to 

 some, but, in my mind, no doubt exists." 



In the case of dogs, Herr Lang, of Stuttgart (quoted by Pro- 

 fessor Weismann), and Dr. Romanes have only got negative results, 

 and in response to an appeal by Mr. Tegetmeier for facts on this 

 subject, Mr. W. Godwin (8), of Market Drayton, in the Field, of Oct. 

 14, 1893, remarks that in numberless cases he has failed to notice any 

 influence of one sire on succeeding offspring by another. However, 

 he gives some instances of this, for which he can vouch, both with 

 dogs and fowls. Those relating to dogs are as follows : — 



A spaniel bitch littered to a terrier; all were destroyed, and in 

 the next litter, to a spaniel, one was more like a terrier than a 

 spaniel, the rest being true spaniels. An Irish terrier bitch, mated 

 with a fox terrier, and bore her next litter to a well-bred Irish terrier; 

 most of the last were like, apparently, pure Irish, two or three 

 were red and white, one was all white, except a brindle red mark on 

 the head and another on the stern, and strongly like a fox-terrier, 

 except in size. A cocker-spaniel bitch, when being taken to a curly 

 black spaniel, escaped and paired with a pointer, but was re-captured 

 and paired to the spaniel in a very short time. Yet the resulting 

 litter were half-bred pointers, save one, which was undoubtedly got 



