THE DUN OR TAN STOCK. 275 



The common chestnut, through all Temperate 

 Asia and Eastern Europe, when bearing withal the 

 dappled spots of the grey, in token of a twofold 

 intermixture, still often shows, in the dorsal line, 

 the colour of the legs, the general structure, and 

 form of the mane and tail, his tendency to absorp- 

 tion into the more indelible type of the dun, whose 

 stock, subdivided into many races, everywhere recur- 

 ring, shows the livery under the names of eelback- 

 dun, tanned, mouse-coloured, light bay, cervino, pelo 

 de lolo, &c., but always distinctly bearing the spinal 

 streak down to the tail, even when deeply mixed 

 with the noblest blood or divergent into the chest- 

 nut or Alezan livery, where alone stature is deve- 

 loped, and where, in the solitary instance of the 

 Burgundian ancient race, that colour clothes forms 

 belonging to the heavy black and draught horse. 



From the mountains of Scotland to the plains of 

 Eastern Tahtary, from Iceland and Norway to the 

 sierras of Central Spain, notwithstanding the cease- 

 less intermixture with breeds of other origin, or the 

 further decrease of stature from climate or want of 

 food, these various shades of dun and the dorsal 

 streak often reappear upon individuals among droves 

 apparently all bay, or all sooty, without an ostensible 

 cause, to the exclusion of grey and dappled, which 

 are always the result of direct intermixture. 



In manners and characteristic intelligence, this 

 type displays peculiarities not found in the larger 



and acute observer, N. Gabriel, Esq., informs me that he has 

 found several in England. 



