32 



of every detail, however insignificant, that bears upon 

 the subject. On the completion of the Penicuik 

 experiments, much lig-ht may be thrown upon the 

 question, which should be full of interest to all 

 breeders of stock, and whether the experiments come 

 to a successful issue or not, great credit is certainly 

 due to Professor Cossar Ewart for his disinterested 

 labours in this connection. ' 



It is well known to breeders of all kinds of stock 

 that pure-bred sires are more impressive than under- 

 bred or cross-bred sires, and that, by careful selection 

 and mating along scientific lines, under-bred stock 

 can be raised in time to come within the term " pure- 

 bred." This accepted fact neither proves nor dis- 

 proves telegony, but it seems natural to suppose that, 

 were the original germ permanently fixed by first 

 sires, under-bred features would be more slowly worn 

 out, and conversely, pure-bred characteristics would 

 deteriorate less rapidly. It is held by many breeders 

 that parents of either sex, possessing the purer breed- 

 ing and fixity of type, are the more prepotent, and 

 that the progeny incline to whichever side the balance 

 of breeding and type lies. Telegony, however, if it 

 does exist — and although there may be no positive 

 proof of its action, there are many apparent indica- 

 tions of it — necessarily emanates from original sires 

 by the inoculation of the female ovum during coition. 

 With pregnancy, saturation follows, and it is held 

 that the original male strains always remain hermetic- 

 ally associated with the female blood to a varying 



