44 THE CONDITION OF A STALLION. 



pariure to join his regiment, an entertainment was given, 

 at which her daughter attended. Daring the whole 

 evening she and the soldier danced and sang together; 

 when heated by the toddy and the dance, they left the 

 cottage and after the lapse of an hour were found to- 

 gether in a glen, in a state of utter insensibility, from 

 the effects of their former festivity ; and the consequence 

 of this interview was the birth of an idiot. He is now 

 nearly six years of age, and his mother does not believe 

 that he is able to recognise either herself or any other 

 individual. He is quite incapable of making signs 

 whereby his wants can be made known, with this ex- 

 ception, that when hungry he gives a wild shriek. This 

 IS a case upon which it would be painful to dwell, and 

 I shall only remark that the parents are both intelligent, 

 and that the fatal result cannot otherwise be accounted 

 for than by the almost total prostration or eclipse of the 

 intellect of both parties from intoxication." 



For another instance of a peculiar constitution derivea 

 from a parent at the time of copulation, and owing to £ 

 temporary excitement of the animal, a respectable farmer 

 related to the writer of this Essay that he witnessed the 

 effect of pain and nervous agitation on a stallion just 

 before the moment of covering, in the production of a 

 wild, timid, violent and worthless colt. The sire was in 

 repute as one of the best horses ever kept in the dis 

 trict ; and his stock afterward justified the opinion. Tb« 

 groom became angry and beat him in his stall in a cruel 

 manner, and then led him out and allowed him to cover 

 the mare, which was one of a perfectly quiet and ord<^rly 

 temper. The consequence was the production o*" an 

 animal totally valueless, as above mentioned. 



That the doctrine here held is no " new thing under 

 the sun" is evident from many venerated authors. Plu- 

 tarch says " The advice which I am now about te give, 



