" ScatlifF Strain " of Turbit 



year was out. Meanwhile Scatliff had, by mating 

 up " Ladybird " with the most likely of his own 

 cocks, succeeded in producing one or two young 

 cocks with the desired point. By breeding these 

 with their mother " Ladybird " and their off- 

 spring again with " Ladybird," Scatliff eventually 

 succeeded in breeding some turbits, both blacks 

 and duns, with the required peculiarity fully 

 developed, but not before he had spent a further 

 sum of ^"55 on two other cocks, both of which 

 died before they could be mated with the famous 

 " Ladybird." However, amid all his misfortunes, 

 Scatliff informs us that he bought one bird, by 

 name "Amazement," which did assist him in 

 fixing his strain. Thus Scatliff spent consider- 

 ably over ,100 in purchases, and took eight years 

 fixing the peculiarity in question. Had " Lady- 

 bird " been a flower, the peculiarity could probably 

 have been fixed in one generation by self- 

 fertilisation. 



This furnishes an excellent example of the 

 trouble which breeders will take, and the expense 

 to which they will go in order to produce a 

 desired result. Nevertheless, it appears to be 

 the fashion for scientific men to decry the work 

 of the breeder. 



Let us now pass on to consider the cases of 

 mutations which are known to have occurred 

 among animals. 



93 



