THE BOSTON TERRIER 39 



dam should possess equal or more quality than 

 the sire, that her influence and characteristics 

 are perpetuated in her posterity to a greater de- 

 gree than are those of the sire's, especially that 

 feature of paramount importance, a beautiful 

 disposition, hence I speak of the maternal side 

 of the house first. There are two inexorable 

 laws that confront the breeder at the onset, more 

 rigid than were those of the Medes and Per- 

 sians, the non-observance of which will inevit- 

 ably lead to shipwreck. Better by far turn 

 one's energies in attempting to square the circle, 

 or produce a strain of frogs covered with 

 feathers, than attempt to raise Boston terriers 

 without due attention being given to those physi- 

 ological laws which experience has proven cor- 

 rect. The first law is that "Like produces like," 

 although, as previously stated in the case of 

 this breed, more than in any other known to the 

 writer, many exceptions present themselves, even 

 when the utmost care has been exercised, still 

 the maxim holds good in the main. The second 

 law is that of Heredity, too often paid inadequate 

 attention to, but which demands constant and 

 unremitting apprehension, as it modifies the first 

 law in many ways. It may be briefly described 

 as the biological law by which the general char- 

 acteristics of living creatures are repeated in 

 their descendants. Practically every one has 



