IN-AND-IN BREEDING. 167 



" Since then the goose bred with her offspring, till 

 she was killed by an attack of dogs in 1852. Great 

 numbers were bred during this time, and of course 

 there was much of the closest breeding, yet there was 

 no deterioration, and in fact some of the later ones 

 were larger and better than the first pair. The same 

 gentleman also obtained a pair of wild-geese from 

 Canada in 1818, which, with their progeny, were bred 

 from, without change, until destroyed by dogs with 

 the above-named in 1852. They continued perfect as 

 at first." ' 



Mr. James Ruthven, formerly secretary of the 

 North British Columbarian Society, says : " There is 

 one fact I became acquainted with three years since. 

 A gentleman in Ireland got one pair of trumpeter 

 pigeons, and put them into a large loft alone. He 

 kept them there fifteen years, breeding and produc- 

 ing, without once adding fresh blood; only, when 

 they got too numerous, killing off. The produce are 

 as strong birds and as healthy as could be desired." a 



Mr. Dixon, of Canandaigua, E"ew York, says he has 

 bred Dominique fowls for twelve years without hav- 

 ing a " strange cock in the yard during that time ; " and 

 his stock is strong and hardy, the hens laying as well 

 as those of his neighbors who change their stock often. 

 The cocks averaged about seven pounds and the hens 

 about four pounds." 3 



The fecundity of animals, as has been shown in a 

 preceding chapter, is determined by inheritance, and 



1 Goodale's " Principles of Breeding," pp. 99, 100. 



2 Wright's "Book of Poultry," p. 295. 



3 Country Gentleman, February, 1868, p. 112. 



