THE FREE MARTIN. 157 



ternal form of that animal, which is neither like the bull 

 nor cow, but resembling the Ox or spayed heifer. 



Although, as Hunter observes, "it is almost universally 

 understood, that when a cow brings forth two calves, one 

 of them a bull-calf, and the other to appearance a cow, 

 that the cow- calf is unfit for propagation," it is by no 

 means universally the fact, as instances of such twins 

 breeding were known even in Hunter's time, and have 

 been witnessed more recently. The following is recorded 

 in London's ' Mag. of Nat. History/ and occurred a few 

 years previous to 1826 : Jos. Holroyd, of Withers, near 

 Leeds, had a cow which calved twins, a bull-calf and a 

 cow-calf. As popular opinion was against the cow-calf 

 breeding, it being considered a Free Martin, Mr. Holroyd 

 was determined to make an experiment of them, and 

 reared them together. They copulated, and in due time 

 the heifer brought forth a bull-calf, and she regularly had 

 calves for six or seven years afterwards. 



" If," says Hunter, " there are such deviations as of 

 twins being perfect male and female, why should there 

 not be, on the other hand, an hermaphrodite, produced 

 singly, as in other animals ? I had the examination of 

 one which seemed, upon the strictest inquiry, to have been 

 a single calf; and I am the more inclined to think this 

 true, from having found a number of hermaphrodites 

 among black cattle, without the circumstance of their 

 birth being ascertained." 



If Hunter had carried this reasoning a little further, 

 he might have asked, Why should there not be a Free 

 Martin, or hermaphrodite, produced in the case of twins, 

 when they are both apparently males, or both apparently 

 females ? Had he done this, he would not, probably, 



