68 PHILOSOPHY OF TROTTIJS'G. 



ly after the Henry blood, as in the case of Conkling's Star, and some 

 others, or are controlled by the strong Messenger blood of the grandain 

 of Henry, and the probable dam of the first American Star. In this 

 case, the Star cross displays a straight or unbending front leg; in each 

 case, however, showing the all-prevailing tendencies of the respective 

 blood traits. Of these two, it is also noticeable that the greatest trot- 

 ters have come from the line that showed the straight leg and the Mes- 

 senger bearing; as for example. Dexter, Jay Gould, Huntress, and Trio. 



I have observed, also, in the descendants of Henry and Diomed, a 

 marked difference in the front leg proportion from those of Sir Archy 

 generally, notwithstanding Henry was a son of Sir Archy; and the 

 two lines of Diomed and Archy, if originally separate and distinct, are 

 generally so closely crossed as to render it difficult to reach results 

 with satisfactory certainty. This fact, to my mind, has presented a 

 strong reason in support of the early and often-asserted claim that Sir 

 Archy was by imp. Gabriel, and not by Diomed, as generally sup- 

 posed. It is known as a matter of traditional history, that Castianira, 

 the dam of Archy, received both Gabriel and Diomed the same sea- 

 son; and Archy and Gabriel were both brown in color, and Diomed a 

 chestnut; yet in all the produce of Sir Charles, Bertrand, Virginian, 

 Sumter, Kosciusko, Pacific, Timoleon, John Richards, Betsy Richards, 

 Stockholder, Sir William, and other sons and daughters of Sir x\rchy, 

 the bays and browns were in a large majority, while the descendants 

 of Diomed were chestniits by an equal majority. Besides this, the 

 peculiar blood defects and infirmities that marked the descendants of 

 Diomed, were, in large part, unknown among the family of Sir Archy 

 • — all of which, to my mind, present strong evidences that the credit 

 of founding the best family of thoroughbreds that this country has 

 produced, was taken from Gabriel and given to Diomed, because he 

 was a vnnner of the Derby — a fact, however, which failed to give him 

 popularity among the English breeders, whose keen eyes saw too 

 much of his blood infirmities. 



The measurement and conformation of the hind legs is of equal or 

 greater importance in determining how far the matter of instinct or 

 impulse is affected, and consequently the gait controlled, by the phys- 

 ical conformation. And it must be so of necessity, as the frame-work 

 is the machinery that executes the behests of the will, and that will is 

 moved by impulse in one of these particular ways, controlled largely 

 by the fitness or unfitness, the adaptation or lack of it, in the several 

 parts of the machinery for either form of motion to be chosen. 



