DUROC. 141 



Large thigh bones of unucunl length, the well-covered hocks particularly long 

 and let down upon the cannon-bone, yet of that form which, while it adds 

 greatly to the power of the lever, is denominated curby, or liable to throw out 

 curbs. 



The principal strains of the Duroc blood to be found in this coun- 

 try at this time are found in the members of the American Star 

 family, the descendants of American Eclipse, the descendants of Cock 

 of the Rock, a son of Duroc, out of Romp, by Messenger — a small 

 line — those of Phillips in the family of Abdallah Chief, and those of 

 old Mambrino Chief. I have no doubt the dam of Mambrino Chief 

 was a granddaughter of Duroc, as she was most probably a daughter 

 of the original Messenger Duroc, who was by Duroc from Vincenta, 

 a dauo-hter of Messeno-er. The descendants of Mambrino Chief have 

 all the characteristics of the Duroc family; they have the big, open 

 gait of that family; they have the outward form and measurement of 

 that family, and they have the coarseness of quality which distin- 

 guishes many of the family, and the defective hocks which so conspic- 

 viously adorn the descendants of Duroc. 



Touching again the subject of measurement, I repeat the remark 

 made before, and yet, perhaps, often to be repeated, that the gait or 

 wav of going is governed in most part by a certain conformation of 

 parts, and that those of a certain gait will be found to possess a cer- 

 tain line of measurement of parts in common. It will be found in 

 this respect that, all of the Duroc family have the very long thigh bone. 



This matter of measurement, about which some people have much 

 to say, yet know as little as they do about horses, never having studied 

 or learned anything about either, has its value here. By the anatomy 

 of the Duroc family are they distinguished, even to remote genera- 

 tions, as I know of no other family on this continent. Duroc had a 

 long thigh, and this thigh he transmitted and yet transmits, even to 

 his remote descendants, unless counteracted by other bloods alike 

 strong and positive in their character. It was not a Diomed charac- 

 teristic, but it belonged to Duroc. The Diomed family have not 

 generally a thigh over 23 inches in length, but the Duroc family in all 

 its remote branches, displays one of 24 inches and upward. Since I 

 called attention to this particular, one learned writer asks if I ever 

 measured the thigh of Duroc. I need only refer again to the accurate 

 and careful author from whom I quoted, as my authority on this point, 

 and surely such testimony is far more weighty and far more logical 

 than the question put by that gentleman. 



