THE INHERITANCE OF THE 

 MUZZLE COLOUR IN THE 

 CATTLE BREED OF STJERNSUND 



BY //. FUNKQUIST 



ALNAUP, ÂKARP 



VERY little work has been done with regard to the inheritance of 

 the muzzle colour in cattle. I (1) gave a short account in 1914 of 

 the inheritance of the muzzle colour in the Ayrshire breed and in 

 Swedish red and wliite cattle. The muzzle of these breeds is either dark 

 pigmented or flesh coloured. The pigmentation varies in strength, 

 and it is spread all over the surface of the muzzle or located 

 only in spots. The original Ayrshire breed had probably a dark 

 or lead coloured muzzle. The appearance of flesh coloured muzzles 

 in the Ayrshire breed of today and in Swedish red and whites 

 is certainly a result of crosses between the Shorthorn breed and these 

 breeds. Already in 1914 I was led to believe that the flesh coloured 

 muzzle probably was dominant to the more or less dark coloured. 

 I assumed that one or several factors are present which inhibit the 

 development of pigment. These I assumed to be dominant, while the 

 factors causing the dark coloured muzzle were thought to be reces- 

 sive. As the dark colour is found in different shades different inten- 

 sity factors were assumed to be present. 



From his work with crosses between Holstein — Friesian, 

 Aberdeen — x\ngus, Jersey and Guernsey Gowf.n (2) draws the 

 conclusion that the pigmented muzzle is dominant to the non- 

 pigmented. Wriedt (3) bases his opinion on investigations from 

 Norway, and finds that the flesh coloured muzzle of the English red 

 polls is dominant to the pigmented muzzle of the Norwegian red polls. 

 However, light coloured muzzle appeared in the offspring from pig- 

 mented parents belonging to the breed of Gudbrand. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. Albf.ht Cassf.l (Stjernsund, Nerike, 

 Sweden) and Mr. Karl Lindu for the collection of the data necessary 

 for this study. Their great experience and trustiness substantiate the 

 correctness of tlie observations. 



The breed of Stjernsund is pedigree cattle. During thirty years 



