GENERAL RULES. 41 



some of them excellent judges — entertain the opinion that 

 the Priam cross has done permanent mischief to the horse 

 stock of America, as it is alleged that nearly all, if not all 

 his get, although they have large, flat, bony knees, are 

 tied in, as it is technically termed, immediately below the 

 knee, at the origin of the splint boDC. This malformation 

 is one of the most serious that can exist in a race or family 

 of horses, as it renders them liable, and, in fact, almost 

 certainly so, to break down, when put to any severe stress 

 of work. At all events, it is indisputable that the blood 

 of Priam has not " hit" or " nicked" with the best racing 

 blood of America. 



To take another instance, Glencoe, another distinguished 

 English runner, of equally distinguished blood, though of 

 a distinct strain, being the son of Sultan, son of Selim, 

 and of Trampoline, daughter of Tramp out of Web by 

 Waxy, w\as imported into this country a few years later 

 than Priam, with equally high expectations of success, 

 which have in his instance been fully realized, if not ex- 

 ceeded ; for his stock are of tlie very best now running in 

 the country. Therefore, we say emphaticalty, that the 

 Glencoe stock has " hit" most eminently with the old blood 

 of America, which, it must always, however, bs remem- 

 bered, is, in no respect, so far as it is pure blood, American 

 or of American origin, but (mly descended from the earlier 

 importations of the old English blood of the days of Janus, 

 Eclipse, Highflyer, and the sons of Childers, and the Go- 

 dolphin. Kow, why one blood should " hit" and another 

 "miss," when each strain is equally rich and pure, and 

 when each has produced an equal number of distinguished 

 performers, no one can say positively ; no distinct reasons 

 have ever been assigned, nor, theoreticalh^, can an}^ prin- 

 ciple be laid down on the subject. The blood of Priam, 

 as it has been shown, above, "hit" with the fashionable 



