CHAPTER VI 



TELEGONY AND OTHER DISPUTED QUESTIONS 



" The mysterious wireless telegraphy of ante-natal life." — J. W. 

 Ballantyne. 



§ I. What is meant by Telegony. 



§ 2. The Classic Case of Lord Morton's Mare. 



§ 3. Representative Alleged Cases of Telegony. 



§ 4. Ewart's Penycuik Experiments. 



§ 5. Suggestions which explain away Telegony. 



§ 6. Suggestions as to how Telegonic Influence might he 

 effected. 



^ y. A Statistical Suggestion. 



§ 8. The Widespread Belief in the Occurrence of Telegony. 



^ g. An Instructive Family History. 

 § 10. A Note on Xenia. 

 I II. Maternal Impressions. 



§ I. What is meant by Telegony 



The term "telegony" is applied to doubtful, certainly rare, but, 

 if true, very remarkable cases where an offspring resembles a 

 sire which, though not its father, had previously paired with its 

 mother. More theoretically expressed, telegony is the supposed 

 influence of a previous sire on offspring subsequently borne by 

 the same female to a different sire. The ovum or the embryo 

 is supposed to be influenced by the mother's previous impregna- 

 tion or by the consequences thereof. 



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