INHERITANCE IN RAGE HORSES 101 



carries no grey factor. But the bay horse of the 

 composition B G B^ is not a true bay because it 

 also carries the dominant colour grey. It is bay in 

 colour only because another factor B^ is present 

 which inhibits the developement of the grey colour. 

 The horse of the composition B G b^ will be a grey 

 colour because it carries the grey factor which is 

 dominant over the bay one, and the inhibiting 

 factor B^ of grey being absent, grey can accordingly 

 manifest itself. 



One feature of some interest and of great 

 practical importance remains for consideration. The 

 evidence is quite clear that the transmission of coat 

 colour in horses, so far as it has been inves- 

 tigated, is in accordance with Mendelian principles. 

 Mr. Hurst's analysis of the Stud Books and 

 Racing Calendars, and the pedigrees, which are 

 given and described in Mr. Bunsow's article in this 

 Journal, all tend to that conclusion. But as 

 a very practical nation — perhaps too exclusively 

 so — we naturally enquire as to whether these 

 principles of Mendelism apply to other and more 

 important qualities. Do they, for instance, hold 

 equally true for capacity for speed, for nerve and 

 muscle endurance, for great strength, and for some 

 of the various diseases to Avhicli horses are liable ? 

 It is quite within the bounds of probability that they 

 will be found to so apply. These qualities are of 

 a physiological and pathological nature, and there 

 are already cases known where such qualities 

 appear to segregate as distinctly as structural ones 



