Wilson — The Origin of the Dexter-Kerry Breed of Cattle. 11 



But tliese stout animals, altliough tlioy were of Dexter type, were not all 

 Dexters, the only colours among wliich are whole red and black. Nor is it 

 possible, apart from the fact that they wei'e too large, that the white-faced 

 Hereford, the fincli-backed and brindled Longhorn, or the variously 

 coloured Sliorthorn could have produced the constantly whole-coloured 

 black and red Dexters of the present day. 



Mendelian researches have shown that, when breeds are crossed and 

 produce what are called intermediate hybrids — that is, hybrids in which the 

 charactei-s of the parent races mix or blend — these hybrids, when bred 

 together, have on the average 50 per cent, of their progeny hybrids like 

 themselves, 25 per cent, like one ancestral race, and 25 per cent, like the 

 other. For instance, when roan Shorthorns are bred together, 50 per 

 cent, of their progeny are roans, 25 per cent, are red, and 25 per cent. 

 are white. 



But when hybrids in which the characters of one parent race dominate 

 or obscure those of the other are bred together, their progeny split up into 

 some like one parent race, some like the other, and some like one race in 

 some of its characters and like the other race in others. The converse also 

 holds that, when the progeny of a set of animals split up in this way, these 

 animals are hybrids. 



When Dexters are bred together, their pirogeny split up into four distinct 

 types, viz. : — 



1. Black-coloured, stout, short-legged' animals. 



2. Red-coloured, stout, short-legged animals. 



3. Black-coloured, slender, long-legged animals. 



4. E.ed-coloured, slender, long-legged animals. 



In a breed whose records are so scanty, tlie exact numbers of each type 

 cannot be clearly ascertained ; but it can be said that the first type is by far 

 the most numerous, the second and third types are about equal ; and the last 

 is decidedly least numerous. 



According to Mendelian researches the appearance of these four types 

 suggests that, while the slender black Keri'y was one of the races whicli 

 produced the Dexter, the other was a stout-bodied, short-legged animal, 

 whose colour was red. And that such an animal was imported into Kerry 

 there is sutficient evidence. 



Wakefield (1812) states : — " In the south I met with some persons who 

 had imported Devonshire cattle ; Lords Bantry, Shannon, and Doneraile, 



1 When the calves are veiy young, those that are going to be stout-bodied and short-legged can 

 be told by the length of the leg. See Plate IV. 



02 



