TELEGONY AND REVERSION. 63 



resting paper on mules the Principal says: — "An extra- 

 ordinary influence is exerted on the system of a mare by 

 becoming the mother of a mule, in so far as her progeny 

 in the future is liable to a taint indicated by asinine 

 characters cropping up. Thus no brood mare of high 

 value should be made to throw a mule — a fact well estab- 

 lished by the experiment made by Lord Morton of crossing 

 a mare of pure blood with a quagga.'^ * 



It is, perhaps, not to be wondered at that in England, 

 where there has been hitherto in many quarters a dread 

 of scientific methods akin to that of the supernatural, 

 breeders have failed to distinguish between facts and 

 beliefs. In this case inquiry may justify the wide accept- 

 ance of the belief in question, but until the verification 

 has been effected it is not wise to allow the tradition to 

 overmuch influence practice, or to argue, as some believers 

 in telegony have done, that because the dam is infected the 

 sire must be infected also ; that a Chillingham bull, e. g., 

 which has been used for breeding with shorthorn cows 

 will, if returned to his own herd, infect it with shorthorn 

 peculiarities and idiosyncrasies. While many English 

 breeders have been, it may be, over-credulous, not a few 

 German breeders have long looked with suspicion on the 

 infection theory. Professor Kuhn, late head of the Prussian 

 Agricultural Station at Halle, Settegast, Nathusius, and 

 others familiar with scientific methods have, notwith- 

 standing an extensive experience in breeding and crossing, 

 never known a case of telegony. Hence, while some have 

 doubted its ever occurring, others are convinced there is 

 no such thing as telegony, that the female is neither " in- 

 fected " by the first male nor by subsequent mates to which 

 she bears offspring. 



Weismann, who,^ as is well known, is not a believer in 

 the infection theory, wrote in 1893 as follows : — " I must 

 say that to this day, and in spite of the additional cases 

 brought forward by Spencer and Romanes, I do not con- 



* Mr. J. H. Steel, A.V.D., ' Joum. of tlie Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,' 

 vol. V, 1890. 



