OUR SADDLE-HORSES. 71 



provement depends on this principle, that the 

 power of the female to supply her offspring 

 with nourishment is in proportion to her size, 

 and to the power of nourishing herself from 

 the excellence of the constitution. 



" The size of the foetus is generally in pro- 

 portion to that of the male parent, and there- 

 fore when the female parent is proportionably 

 small the quantity of nourishment is deficient, 

 and her offspring has all the disproportions of 

 a starveling. But when the female, from her 

 size and good constitution, is more than ade- 

 quate to the nourishment of a foetus of a 

 smaller male than herself, the growth must be 

 proportionably greater. The larger female has 

 also a greater quantity of milk, and her off- 

 spring is more abundantly supplied with 

 nourishment." 



There can be no doubt that in breeding 

 animals of any kind the females should be 

 well formed, and have good constitutions ; but 

 on what facts Mr. Cline grounds his assertion 

 that the females for breeding should be larger 

 than the males, he does not say, while all the 

 facts bearing on this subject lead to an oppo- 



