158 TELEGONY 



Ewart is right in maintaining that the mistake is in the mis- 

 interpretation of reversions. 



A glance at the chapter on reversion (Chapter V.) will remind 

 the reader that the crossing of different strains often results 

 in apparent " throw-backs." A dark bantam hen paired with 

 an Indian game Dorking produced, amongst others, a cockerel 

 almost identical with a jungle fowl [Gallus hankiva) — that is, with 

 the original wild stock. What occurs when different breeds 

 are crossed may occur on a smaller scale when individuals of 

 the same breed, but of different strains, are crossed. When 

 reversionary phenomena occur they usually spell disappointment 

 to the practical breeder. In search of an explanation, he some- 

 times thinks that he finds one in telegony ; that is to say, gives 

 the blame of the reversion not to the immediately preceding 

 crossing, which was theoretically correct, and should have turned 

 out well, but to some remoter, less careful, or perhaps accidental 

 crossing. In this way the remoter sire is made the scapegoat 

 for the reversion, and the belief in telegony has grown. 



§ 9. An Instructive Family History 



A good instance of the way in which cases of alleged telegony 

 evaporate when analysed has been given by Dr. O. vom Rath. 

 It concerns the somewhat intricate family history of certain cats. 



A family who had lived for many years in Tunis migrated in 

 1888 to Baden, taking with them a beautiful pair of kittens. 

 These were none the worse for the change, except that they grew 

 up very unwilling to leave the house, and more or less vicious. 

 The female cat (F) was grey-brown with black stripes ; the tom 

 (M) was pitch-black, except a large white spot on the right breast, 

 and had a naturally half -sized left ear. In each litter which they 

 cast there were some abnormal kittens, with rudimentary ear 

 and tail. All these and all the males were destroyed ; the normal 

 females were given away. But as the tom (M) became more and 

 more vicious he was castrated, and became peaceful and lazy. 



