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which will not calve every year. Those calving annually give 

 the normal quantity of milk for the first 4 months and those 

 calving once in 2 years for the first 8 months. After this 

 period the quantity of milk decreases gradually but the 

 quality improves until shortly before they go dry when the 

 milk becomes somewhat saline in taste, and a cow which ^ives 

 such milk is called khero (i.e. saline). The Ek barsi goes dry 

 in 8 months and the Do-barsi in 12 to 14 months after calv- 

 ing. There are some cows, however, which give milk for a 

 longer period. The milking period depends chiefly on the 

 breed also on feeding. 



981. Telegony and Atavism. Telegony is a distinct im- 

 pression of the first impregnation on the future progeny of 

 the same dam. By continuous breeding the distinctive 

 features of the original sire are gradually reduced, though 

 they may never absolutely disappear. Telegony is distinct 

 from atavism which is also reversion to some original type. 

 Atavism may take place along the male or the female 

 line of descent, the balance depending upon whichsoever 

 parent possesses the greater prepotency, the result of pedi- 

 greeing. Telegony is a reversion only to an original sire. 



982. The period of gestation of a cow is 283 to 300 days, 

 of a buffalo 315 to 350 days, of sheep or goat 148 to 156 

 days and of a sow 120 to 127 days. A cow goes on calving 

 from the 3rd to the 2oth year of her age. Cows come to 

 heat once in 3 weeks until they get pregnant. 



983. To ascertain whether a cow is pregnant or not, it is 

 milked separately and a drop of the milk is taken out of the 

 pail with a bit of straw and dropped on a glass of clean 

 water. If the drop of milk sinks to the bottom, without 

 much dispersion, the cow is pregnant; if it disperses readily 

 in the water, the cow is not pregnant. Our Goivalas 

 usually judge pregnancy by the following sign : if the animal 

 habitually stands with its tail removed on one side from 

 the vulva, it is .pregnant, if it habitually rests its tail on 



VVY 



