IN-BREEDING OUT-CROSSING. 55 



brothers, The Drone and Van Amburgh, deserve a place in 

 that select company. 



Pericles' solitary claim to consideration consists in having 

 got Harriet (Plenipotentiary's dam), but that is not sufficient. 



Blue Gown's career as a sire cannot be said quite finished, 

 since, although himself at the bottom of the sea, his last direct 

 descendants have not yet appeared on the turf. Of his sons, 

 Vitus and Blue Rock, good performers in Germany, should be 

 mentioned ; on the whole, however, I believe, by discarding him 

 from the list of shining lights at the stud, I express the opinion 

 of English breeders and owners of racehorses. 



Galopin, Lowlander, and Petrarch are still on their trial ; I 

 shall follow their stud career, as being of paramount interest with 

 regard to the question of in-breeding, with the greatest attention. 



The third category contains twenty-two stallions, of whom 

 Orlando, The Flying Dutchman, Emilius, Weatherbit, Buc- 

 caneer, Blacklock, and Tramp, may be said to be of indis- 

 putable pre-eminence. 



Epirus, although supported by Ephesus and the Derby win- 

 ner Pyrrhus the First only, will, on their account, pass muster ; 

 likewise Pero Gomez, who, as sire of Peregrine, winner of the 

 Two Thousand Guineas, and a great number of other useful 

 horses, deserves credit. 



Knight of the Garter, albeit for the present not largely pat- 

 ronized, must, as the sire of Przedswit and many very service- 

 able horses, be reckoned as a successful stallion. 



Of the four, although not very famous brothers : Windhound, 

 Elthiron, Hobbie Noble, and The Reiver, the first, as the prob- 

 able father of the Derby winner Thormanby, is entitled to a 

 certain amount of recognition ; the second has made himself in 

 France, if not celebrated, at least useful ; the last two, however, 

 are decided failures. 



Cotherstone, Chatham, Oulston, and Argonaut hay not at- 

 tained eminence at the stud, which is the more surprising with 

 regard to Cotherstone, the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas 

 and the Derby in 1843, as he was one of the most successful 

 racehorses that ever trod the turf. 



