GENERAL INTRODUCTION. Ixi 



than a zebra. In this liybrid; which was bred in France^ 

 the dorsal, shoulder, and leg stripes have evidently been 

 inherited througli the donkey sire, while the head, ears, 

 mane, and legs have as evidently the stamp of the zebra. 

 In disposition this hybrid is far more a donkey than a 

 zebra — no mule was ever half as stubborn. Pei'haps the 

 wild parent counts for but little in this case, because of 

 the donkey sire having been inbred. A similar hybrid, 

 bred in the Melbourne Zoological Gai'dens, though darker 

 and less distinctly striped, is as much a donkey in its 

 habits and instincts. It thus appears that the wild 

 parent is not necessarily most powerful in impressing 

 even its mental peculiarities on the offspring. This is a 

 matter of some practical importance. It implies, e. g., 

 that by careful selection cross-breeders will be able to 

 produce, within certain limits, offspring differing greatly 

 from each other, both mentally and physically. I say 

 cross-breeders, and not hybridisers, because the difference 

 between species and varieties is often more a difference 

 of degree than of kind. From what has just been stated, 

 there appears to be less difference in many ways between 

 the zebra and the horse than between the ass and the 

 horse, and there is about as much difference between 

 some of the more ancient breeds of cattle and some of 

 the newer breeds as there is between a bison (buffalo) 

 and a shorthorn. It follows that by taking advantage 

 of the facts already established zebra mules could be 

 bred either closely resembling zebras or horses. By 

 carefully selecting mares, or breeding mares for the pur- 

 pose, the objectionable zebra traits might be all but 

 eliminated without sacrificing any of the advantages such 

 a cross may bring. 



The wild parent is said to be especially prepotent be- 

 cause it belongs to an older and longer established type 

 than our domestic breeds. This is very much the same 

 thing as saying the Avild parent is well-bred, or, for that 

 matter, inbred ; that prepotency amongst wild animals is, 

 under ordinary circumstances, due to inbreeding. 



Further observations will probably show that thougli 



