BREEDING STOCK 303 



or else he is a very indifferent breeder, in so far as any pre- 

 potency is concerned. 



309. Femininity (Fig. 150) is naturally characterized in 

 the opposite manner. It implies, primarily, a total absence 

 of any masculine character. Hence, the forequarters of the 

 female are light, fine and undeveloped ; the hindquarters, 

 on the contrary, are broad, the head is proportionately 

 smaller, the expression of the countenance sweeter, and 

 the manner more demure. " Staggy " females are not 

 regular nor satisfactory breeders, as a rule, and an extreme 

 manifestation of masculine character in the female may 

 be associated with hermaphrodism. 



310. Form in breeding animals. There are special 

 features of form in addition to the sex characters which 

 may distinguish the male from the female (Fig. 151). It 

 is generally conceded that the male animal should be 

 larger than the female, although there are many instances 

 in nature to contradict this theory. The form of the 

 male is more compact, the female, since she is to be host 

 to the developing foetus as well as contributing her share 

 of the hereditary material, being more roomy, and capa- 

 cious of middle, longer in back, more open in the flank, 

 and broader across the hips and buttock, the latter 

 features insuring safe and comparatively easy delivery of 

 the young. 



311. Constitution in breeding animals. Constitution 

 is the last word in either production or reproduction. It 

 limits the extent to which inherent possibilities may be 

 realized. No matter how much speed or power, milki- 

 ness or beefiness, horses or cattle are endowed with, they 

 cannot perform or produce to the full capacity of their 

 endowment unless they have the stamina and constitu- 

 tional vigor upon which to base such performance or pro- 



