46 HINTS TO HORSEMEN ; OR, 



sire ; and that idea, or some incomprehensive influ- 

 ence, causes his original stamp to influence the pro- 

 duction of after-litters ; but I never heard of an in- 

 stance where, if the same dog begot -whelps from 

 another bitch, that they exhibited any likeness to 

 the former bitch, but that the likeness observable 

 will still be that of the dog, unless the second bitch 

 had, like the first, some strong tendency to produce 

 whelps like some remembered sire : thus further and 

 more stronglj^ proving it is some sire that stamps his 

 likeness on the progeny, though perliaps not the 

 actual father of them. 



This must not, however, lead the breeder into the 

 truly fatal error of supposing it is a matter of little 

 consequence what the mare may be, if put to an 

 eligible sire ; for let him recollect, that though the 

 mare may not produce a foal bearing any similitude 

 to herself, she most certainly will produce one bear- 

 ing incontestable proof of the family of the mother, 

 be the sire whom he may. Put West Australian, 

 Weathergage, or the Flying Dutchman to twenty 

 quite common mares : no Flying Dutchmen or West 



