188 THE HORSE 



series of experiments that plants and animals are com- 

 pounds of various distinct units, inherited on definite 

 principles, and that by rearrangement of the characters 

 of each group new varieties could be produced. He 

 proved that by mating blue Andalusian fowls together 

 the chickens came of three colours, either blue, black, 

 or white spotted with black, and that the proportions 

 of each were 1, 2, 1. If, however, the black-and-white 

 chickens were mated with each other they produced blue 

 Andalusians only. The colours of horses no doubt follow 

 the same law, and it has long been observed that a chestnut 

 sire mated with a chestnut dam invariably produces a chest- 

 nut foal. Baron Von Oettingen gives some remarkable 

 statistics from the Royal Stud at Trakehnen, which has 

 existed over a hundred years, blacks, browns, and chestnuts 

 being kept apart in three special studs, while in a fourth 

 the colours are mixed ; and he proves how regularly certain 

 colours followed the respective matings ; while he further 

 remarks that a distinct atavism is often evident in the 

 transmission of white marks and particular spots. 



With reference to white markings Sir Jonathan Hutchin- 

 son, F.B.S., F.R.C.S., for a long period consulting surgeon 

 to the London Hospital, contributed a most interesting 

 paper on the subject to the British Medical Journal, 

 June 18, 1910. The substance of his communication is 

 that the upward extension of white stockings on the legs 

 will be in ratio with the size of the star, or blaze, on the 

 forehead. " If it occurs, as is unusual, that the forehead 

 patch is not placed in the middle line there will probably 

 be want of bilateral symmetry in the markings of the feet. 

 ... I attach much importance to any conspicuous devia- 

 tion from symmetry in these matters. If, for instance, the 

 face patch is on one side only, and the two feet on one side 

 show stockings while those on the other retain colour, it 

 may, I believe, be suspected that the animal is not developed 

 with perfect bilateral symmetry in other respects. He may 

 differ from his fellows as a left-handed man differs from a 

 right-handed. He may be a sinistral (left-handed) horse, 

 and if so, although he may be strong and efficient for work. 



