IV] THE ORIGIN OF THE LIBYAN HORSE 441 



very substantial corroboration for our conclusion that the 

 primeval colour of the Libyan horse was bay. The English 

 race-horse supplies exactly the test case that we seek. 



Major-General Tweedie^ when discussing the colours of 

 Arab horses, makes the following valuable observation on those 

 of the English thoroughbred: "The production by man through 

 methodical selection of breeds of horses of one colour, is as 

 intelligible as the distribution by nature of troops of wild 

 horses, every individual of which resembles the surface of the 

 ground. But another fact here presents itself, which seems 

 still to await explanation. Except in so far as statistics show 

 that there have been more winners of one colour than of another 

 colour, English breeders for the turf may safely be acquitted of 

 all preference, or fancy, respecting colour. And yet, equally in 

 our islands and at the Antipodes, the long course of scientific 

 breeding, of which our racing stock is the product, has practi- 

 cally resulted in its becoming a family of bays and chestnuts — 

 two colours essentially one. In olden times when England was 

 full of fresh Eastern blood, greys were as often seen at the 

 starting-post as they were down to a much later period in New 

 South Wales and Victoria. In the thirty years preceding 1866 

 it was estimated^ that the Derby had been won by seven 

 chestnuts, seven browns, and sixteen bays ; the St Leger by 

 five chestnuts, eight browns, and seventeen bays, and the Oaks 

 in like proportion. The tendency of the highest breeding in 

 latitudes far separated is to wipe out in horses all colours save 

 bay and chestnut." Now, as it will be remembered that Major- 

 General Tweedie is a firm advocate of the theory that the Arab 

 horse is a purely artificial product, his testimony is all the more 

 valuable as it is that of a hostile witness. 



An examination of the colours of the winners of the Derby, 

 Oaks, and St Leger* for the three decades from 1870 to 1899 

 inclusive proves that not merely has grey disappeared altogether 



1 The Arabian Horse, p. 267. 



- E. H. Copperthwaite, The Turf and the Race-horse, ed. 2 (1866), p. 144. 



* As the Racing Calendar does not attach colour marks to the lists of winners 

 of the Derby, Oaks, and St Leger, I had to compile my table by going through 

 the volumes of the Racing Calendar for the years tabulated. 



