PARENT AND OFFSPRING 



293 



cattle by interbreeding Herefords and zebus, in the hope that 

 the offspring might possess the desirable beef qualities of the 

 Hereford with the tick immunity of the zebu. As a result of 

 this experiment offspring were produced (fig. 136) showing 

 various characteristics of the two kinds of parents. Offspring 

 produced by crossbreeding are known as hybrids. 



Some of the hybrid cattle produced as a result of the ex- 

 periment just cited resemble the Hereford, some resemble the 



FIG. 135. A bull of the Brahman, or zebu, breed from India 



The hump over the shoulders and the hackward pointed horns are characteristic 

 features of this animal. Photograph by Robert K. Nabours 



zebu, and some bear partial resemblance to both kinds of 

 parents. Some of the offspring retain the bodily form of the 

 Hereford and the zebu's immunity to the cattle tick. Those 

 individuals which retain these qualities are now being used 

 as parents for the production of other cattle, with the 

 expectation that this new hybrid breed will retain the 

 desired qualities and thus become the solution of a serious 

 practical problem. 



