250 THE BREEDING OF ANIMALS 



Three-quarter blood bisons from pure bisons, -bulls and 

 hybrid cows were similar in form and color to the bison ; 

 one cross-bred from a half Hereford dam had a white 

 face. One-quarter blood bisons from hybrid dams and 

 Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bulls were uniform in 

 conformation but varied in color. The three-quarter 

 bloods closely resembled the bison, while the one-quarter 

 bloods could not readily be distinguished from domestic 

 cattle. From twenty-four hybrid cows, only three were 

 regular breeders and fifteen were barren. From twelve 

 one-quarter blood bison cows bred to domestic animals, 

 seven were fully fertile, four were irregular breeders, and 

 one was barren. One out of four of the three-quarter 

 blood bison cows was barren. The term " cattalo " 

 is used by Boyd to designate the third generation. When 

 both parents are of mixed blood, the cattaloes are in many 

 respects superior to ordinary domestic cattle, being hardier 

 and much less subject to disease. Cattaloes with a high 

 percentage of bison blood are probably immune from 

 Texas fever and blackleg. The cattalo grows to a greater 

 weight than domestic cattle. Goodnight 1 says, " More 

 of them can be grazed on a given area. They do not 

 run from Heel Flies nor drift in storms. They rise on 

 their fore feet instead of their hind feet. They never 

 lie down with their backs down hill, so they are able to 

 rise quickly and easily." 



It seems entirely probable that a new breed will be 

 added to the list of domestic cattle, and if this result is 

 achieved, it will be one of the very few authentic cases of 

 the establishment of a new breed by crossing species. 



236. The mule hybrid. The most widely distributed 

 and most useful hybrid known is the mule, which is pro- 



1 Goodnight, Journal of Heredity, 1914, p. 199. 



