92 BREEDING AND REARING 



of the same litter with appearances which bore evident marks 

 of distinct origin, and where the future disproportion in siz,e 

 and qualities, and all the distinctive marks of varied species, 

 clearly evinced that more than one male was concerned in 

 the process. Superfoetation is apt to be confounded with, or 

 its phenomena are sometimes accounted for, by another pro- 

 cess, still more curious and inexplicable, but which is wholly 

 dependent on the mother. I allude to the impression made 

 on the mind of the female parent, and conveyed by her to 

 the foetuses within her, by which antecedent impressions in 

 favour of a particular dog- will be stamped in characteristic 

 marks on the prog-eny beg-otten by another totally different 

 from him. This subject will be more fully treated of in the 

 next article : it is only necessary to remark here, that in cases 

 of superfoetation, the size, form, and qualities of the additional 

 progeny all fully betoken their origin. In these instances 

 of sympathetic deviation, the form, size, and character, are 

 almost wholly the mother's ; but the colour is as certainly 

 the favourite's, with, perhaps, a few shades of characteristic 

 Mendings intermixed. 



-*^*>#•^^#'- 



Breeding mid Rearing of Puppies. 



As gestation has not yet been at all considered as it regards 

 the progeny, and as something yet remains to be stated that 

 is immediately connected with the mother ; so it will pro- 

 bably be more convenient to continue the subject, to its 

 completion, here, in preference to removing it (as in the 

 former editions) to its alphabetical situation under the head 

 J^uppies. 



The extreme care that is bestowed to perfect some breeds 

 of dogs, and to preserve such varieties in their utmost purity, 

 is known to every one. To the sportsman it becomes a most 

 interesting subject ; and to the breeder of domestic animals 

 in general it is no less important. I propose, therefore, to 

 consider it, both philosophically and practically, rather more 



