138 



THE HORSE. 



tiary, Charles XII., The Colonel, Harkaway, Cother- 

 stone, Launcelot, and Faugh- a-ballagh, were tip-top 

 racers, but miserable stallions, considering the oppor- 

 tunities they possessed. Others, again, such as Eclipse, 

 Highflyer, Waxy, Whalebone, Touchstone, and Or- 

 lando, were distinguished both as racers and stallions. 

 The gi'eat point for the breeder is to choose a stallion 

 that gets the right sort of stock ; and if his mare 

 happens to make a good hit with the horse he puts her 

 to, he should go on in the same line. We know that 

 Penelope produced Whalebone, Whisker, Woful, and 

 Web, by Waxy ; that Launcelot and Touchstone were 

 got by Camel out of Banter ; that Irish Bird-catcher 

 and Faugh- a-ballagh were own-brothers ; and that 

 Pocahontas threw both Stockwell and Rataplan to The 

 Baron. It is impossible to be certain of the value of a 

 race-horse or a mare, for breeding-purposes, until they 

 are proved. We may often come near the thing, but 

 we will sometimes be disappointed. Crucifix and her 

 dam, and the Hero and his dam, were sold for about 

 twenty guineas the pair ; and Martha Ljiin, with Volti- 

 gem* in her belly, was refused at twenty-five pounds ! ! 

 The value of a first-class thoroughbred brood mare may 

 be imagined from the fact, that the Duke of Grafton's 

 family cleared, according to Nimi'od, about one hun- 

 dred thousand pounds out of the produce of the re- 

 nowned Prunella. 



