Breeding. 463 



confirmed by acts of not tmfrequent occurrence. I had a pug bitch 

 whose constant companion was a small and almost white spaniel dog of 

 Lord Rivers's breed, of which she was very fond. When it became 

 necessary to separate her on account of her heat from this dog, and to 

 confine her with one of her own kind, she pined excessively ; and, not- 

 withstanding her situation, it was some time before she would admit of 

 the attentions of the pug dog placed vrith her. At length, however, she 

 was warded, impregnation followed, and at the usual period she brought 

 forth five pug puppies, one of which was perfectly white, and although 

 rather more slender than the others, was nevertheless a genuine pug. The 

 spaniel was soon afterwards given away, but the impression remained ; 

 for at two subsequent litters (which were all she had afterwards) she 

 again presented me with a white pug pup, which the fanciers know to be 

 a very rare occurrence." 



I have not met with an instance such as the above in my own expe- 

 rience, but cases almost identical have been told me as coming within 

 the scope of the experience of friends. Mr. James Pratt, who has been 

 so successful a breeder of Skye terriers, has told me that one of his 

 bitches produced a pure white Skye under similar conditions ; and I 

 could multiply such, but that must suffice on the subject of results from 

 mental impressions. 



Dr. Boulton, to whose and Mr. Tegetmeier's instructive pamphlet on 

 the " Physiology of Breeding ' ' I have already referred, quotes from Mr. 

 E. L. Layard an instance of a blood mare whose progeny, a stallion and 

 afterwards a mare, were submitted to the judgment of an observant 

 naturalist, who declared in both instances, fine as the animals were, they 

 bore the impress of a donkey, and, although this opinion was at first 

 received with derision, subsequent investigation proved that the dam of 

 these animals whilst running loose as a filly had been covered by a 

 jackass and produced a mule foal. In the " Philosophical Transactions," 

 1821, it is on record that Lord Morton, having bred from a Quagga and 

 a chestnut mare, and afterwards bred the mare to a black Arabian 

 horse, the progeny exhibited in colour and mane a striking resemblance 

 to the Quagga. Similar results have been seen in breeding pigs, and a 

 curious effect of terror on a pregnant cat is given in " Transactions of 

 the Linnaean Society," vol. IX : " The tail of the cat was accidentally 

 trodden on with such violence as to cause the animal intense pain. When 



