IN-BREEDING 223 



208. In-breeding cattle. BakewelTs 1 (1725-1795) 

 phenomenal success in the rapid improvement of horses, 

 cattle and sheep was possible only because he utilized 

 to the fullest extent the method of mating animals of 

 the closest possible relationship, not because they were 

 closely related but because they possessed the particular 

 qualities desired. By in-breeding he was able to " sim- 

 plify " the germ-plasm and bring about a homozygous 

 condition of these particular characters. The available 

 breeding records of the activities of Robert and Charles 

 Colling, Thomas Bates and the Booths are eloquent in 

 their testimony of the fact that great progress was achieved 

 from intelligent in-breeding. 



The Shorthorn bull, Duke of Airdrie (12,730), 2 traces 

 through five or six generations to but six animals famous 

 in the early history of the Shorthorn breed. The six 

 animals all trace back through five or six generations to 

 one bull Favourite, himself the son of half-brother and 

 sister. Says Darwin, 3 " But the Shorthorns offer the 

 most striking case of close inter-breeding; for instance, 

 the famous bull Favourite (who was himself the offspring 

 of a half-brother and sister from Foljambe) was matched 

 with his own daughter, granddaughter, and great-grand- 

 daughter; so that the produce of this last union, or the 

 great-great-granddaughter, had 15-16ths, or 93.75 per 

 cent of the blood of Favourite in her veins. This cow 

 was matched with the bull Wellington, having 62.5 per 

 cent of Favourite blood in his veins, and produced Cla- 

 rissa ; Clarissa was matched with the bull Lancaster, hav- 



1 Youatt, "Cattle," p. 199. 



2 A valuable discussion of in-breeding among early breeders 

 is to be found in Miles' "Stock Breeding," pp. 137-189. Also 

 Huth, "The Marriage of Near Kin," pp. 242-292. 



3 Darwin, "Animals and Plants under Domestication," p. 96. 



