PREPOTENCY. 49 



way to a general support of the doctrine long 

 a favorite with stock-breeders of prepotency. 



Prepotency is the superior influence of one 

 parent over the other in determining the char- 

 acter of the offspring. 



Prepotency is usually treated as (1) prepo- 

 tency of breed, race, species, and (2) prepotency 

 of the individual. The one is general and the 

 other special, the same law plainly acting in 

 the same way in both classes. The division, 

 however, has a special and very real value to 

 the stock-breeder. 



No better illustrations of the operation of 

 this law in both classes can be given than those 

 afforded by cattle-breeding. Thus the Short- 

 horn was early recognized as a breed having 

 singular power of fixing its character on other 

 breeds. Says Mr. Darwin: "The truth of the 

 principle of prepotency comes out more clearly 

 when certain races are crossed. The improved 

 Short-horns, notwithstanding that the breed is 

 comparatively modern, are generally acknowl- 

 edged to possess great power in impressing 

 their likeness on all other breeds." This fac- 

 ulty has been called by a recent writer "free 

 power," from the readiness with which it is 

 transmitted, and after many investigations and 

 experiments he concludes that the Short-horn 

 possesses this "free power" in a higher degree 

 than any other breed of cattle. It is this qual- 



