FAMILY BADGES. 427 



It was not distinct in colthood and early life, but all his Kentucky 

 ^.cquaintances have this grey leg in clear remembrance. He put that 

 grey leg on about one-fourth to one-third of all his produce. Mam- 

 brino Patchen wears it, and in turn transmits it to many of his produce. 

 I have one of them. Joe Hooker, that one of all of his sons which 

 was said to resemble him most, wore the badge in full. Almont, his 

 grandson, has it now plainly and increasing. Ristori, by Volunteer, 

 dam by iNIambrino Chief, thus acknowledges her family lineage. 

 Messrs. Haight, Taber, Williams and Shaq^stein, all agree in the 

 statement to me that this trait never belonged to the family of 

 Mambrino Paymaster. It points to Messenger Duroc unmistakably. 



I here repeat in verbis a part of my argument in the chapter relating 

 to Duroc, wherein I called attention to the matter of anatomy — the 

 long thigh of the Duroc family. 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 dis- 

 tinguished, even to remote generations, as I know of no other family 

 on this continent. Duroc had a long thigh, and this thigh he trans- 

 mitted 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 characteristic, but it belonged to 

 Duroc. The Diomed and Sir Archy families 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 upwards. 



The American Star family, with their single cross of Duroc, and 

 only 15 hands 2 inches in height, have a thigh 24 inches in length — 

 the larger ones, Bolton and Socrates, have each one 24^ inches; while 

 Smuggler, a remote descendant of Duroc, can show as fine hind- 

 quarter action as any horse in the world, and trot very fast on a 24- 

 inch thigh. It is also seen that the length of the thigh bears some 

 reference to the number of Duroc crosses the animal carries. Thus 

 Brownwood by Blackwood, dam by McDonald's Mambrino, having 

 two Duroc crosses, has a thigh 24-2- inches; the present Messenger 

 Duroc, of Chapter X, with his five crosses of Duroc, has one 25 inches, 

 and his son Ellwood, with his ten direct crosses, and not so tall on the 

 rump by two inches, has one also 25 inches; Prospero is also 25 

 inches. 



This feature of the Duroc cross is one that is found with more 

 certainty than any other anatomical characteristic that I know of any- 



