282 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



" The late Dr. Hugh Smith used to relate a similar instance, 

 which occurred to a favorite female setter that often followed his i 

 carriage. On one occasion, when travelling in the country, she 

 became suddenly so enamoured of a mongrel that followed her, , 

 that, to separate them, he was forced, or rather, his anger irritated i 

 him, to shoot the mongrel, and he then proceeded on his journey. 

 The image of this sudden favorite, however, still haunted the 

 bitch, and for some weeks after, she pined excessively, and obsti- 

 nately refused intimacy with any other dog. At length she ac- 

 cepted a well-bred setter; but when she whelped, the doctor was 

 mortified with the sight of a litter which, he perceived, bore evi- 

 dent marks, particularly in color, of the favored cur, and they 

 were accordingly destroyed. The same also, occurred in all her 

 future puppings ; invariably the breed was tainted by the lasting 

 impression made by the mongrel." 



Such, then, are a few of the facts, in relation to this matter, and 

 they would seem to warrant the inference, that the maternal ima- 

 gination may strongly mark her offspring. The time during 

 which this effect may be produced is not so well established. It 

 would appear, however, to take place during heat, or any early 

 period of pregnancy. To apply this principle to a useful end, is 

 well worthy of careful experiment. This could be done by any 

 farmer, of sufficient knowledge, and possessed of moderate resour- 

 ces, without expense and with very little trouble. The nature o) 

 such experiments and the manner in which they should be conduc- 

 ted, will be suggested at once, to any intelligent, thinking mind. 



Jfewburgh, March 1, 1845. 



J 



