MISCELLANEA 197 



the father, however, knows it. In support of this suggestion, I 

 may add that it seems generally held that second sight goes in 

 families ; perhaps that, too, might be a good quality on which 

 to test the rules of mental inheritance. 



4 Note on Yellow Dun Horses and the Relation of this 

 Colour to Chestnut. 



By C. J. DAVIES. 



I HAVE been much interested in the article on the colour of horses 

 in the Mendel Journal. There are one or two points in connection 

 with this subject which I have often thought needed closer 

 investigation. 



It is generally assumed and has, indeed, been stated by at 

 least one writer (viz., Professor Wilson in "The Inheritance of 

 Coat Colour in Horses," Scientific Proceedings of Koyal Dublin 

 Society, 1910), that chestnut is recessive to all other colours, 

 including dun.* 



Some years ago in the neighbourhood in which I then lived 

 were two yellow-dun pony mares, in different ownerships. By 

 yellow-dun I mean a yellow body colour with black mane, tail, 

 and dorsal stripe, black on knees, hocks, front of legs and fetlocks, 

 a slight shoulder stripe, and slightly barred legs. 



The antecedents of the ponies were unknown. One pony was 

 fourteen hands high. The other was about thirteen hands high, 

 and was of a different type, suggesting a Mongolian pony in some 

 respects. Both were probably foreigners. 



The smaller pony bred several bay and brown foals by bay 

 and brown sires. The larger pony bred three chestnut foals 

 (without black points) in three successive years (I think 1891, 

 1892, 1893, or thereabouts) to the chestnut hackney Troubadour, 

 then located in the Taunton district. f 



* Mr. C. C. Hurst arrived at the conclusion that chestnut was recessive 

 to bay and brown as early as 1905, but he did investigate the behaviour of 

 the dun coat. Mr. Hurst's inquiry was the first which showed that coat 

 colour in horses does behave in accordance with Mendelian principles. 

 Since then (1912) Professor Wilson has examined the behaviour of the 

 dun coat. — [Editok]. 



■j- This observation suggests that yellow is recessive to chestnut, but 

 the absence of the black points in the chestnut oiTspring which are present 

 in the yellow dun mare, indicate the existence of some complication, and 

 we think it lends some support to Mr. Davies' suggestion as to the 

 relationship between dun and brown which he describes in the next 

 paragragh. — [Editor.] 



