324 PKINCIPLES OF STOCK-BREEDING. 



It is frequently observed that in the offspring of 

 individuals or families there are many more of one sex 

 than of the other, so that the determination of the 

 sex seems to depend upon some undefined peculiarity 

 of the parent. 



Mr. Knight, from the examination of a limited 

 number of facts of this kind, came to the conclusion 

 that "the female parent gives the sex to the off- 

 spring." And he says, "I have proved repeatedly 

 that, by dividing a herd of thirty cows into three 

 equal parts, I could calculate with confidence upon a 

 larger majority of females from one part, of males 

 from another, and upon nearly an equal number of 

 males and females from the remainder." l 



Sir John Sinclair states that " two cows produced 

 fourteen females each in fifteen years, though the bull 

 was changed every year. It is singular that, when 

 they produced a bull-calf, it was in the same year." 2 



Mr. Sherman reports a predominance of heifers in 

 the get of a Jersey bull, the cows brought to him 

 being selected as heifer-breeders. He also states that 

 he has " a mare that has borne ten or eleven colts, but 

 three of which were males. They were sired by five 

 or six stallions." 8 



Mr. "Wright, Yeldersley House, says that " one of 

 his Arab mares, though put seven times to different 

 horses, produced seven fillies." * 



1 "Philosophical Transactions," 1809; quoted in Walker on "In- 

 termarriage," p. 228. 



* " Code of Agriculture," p. 89. 



3 Country Gentleman, 1877, p. 366. 



4 "Descent of Man," vol. i., p. 294. 



