PEDIGREE. 339 



The value of any pedigree will depend upon its 

 authenticity, completeness, and the quality or charac- 

 teristics of the animals comprised in the ancestry. 



The authenticity of a pedigree is to be determined 

 by the same rules that guide us in deciding upon the 

 truth of any other statement or record. In the first 

 place, it must be consistent with itself, and in accord- 

 ance with the known facts in the history of the breed. 



The reputation of the breeder for integrity, and 

 the care with which he keeps a record of the breeding 

 of his stock, together with his opportunities for ob- 

 taining correct information in regard to the statements 

 he places on record, must all be taken into considera- 

 tion. A pedigree made from memory alone, some 

 time after the occurrence of the facts recorded, cannot 

 be so satisfactory as one based on records made at the 

 time. 



The intentional or careless omission of a name in 

 copying a pedigree is a frequent source of error that 

 is not easily detected by persons who are not familiar 

 with the history of the family to which the animal 

 belongs. 



Under the head of completeness it is important 

 that the name and residence of the breeder and the 

 present owner be given, together with the date of 

 birth, the color, and other distinguishing marks that 

 may aid in identifying the animals that are named in 

 the record. 



Every animal mentioned in the pedigree should be 

 traced through every line of descent to individuals of 

 acknowledged purity of blood. 



A defect in the record, or the evidence of a cross 



