Wilson — The Inheritance of Coat Colour in Horses. 337 



Assuming the discrepancies referred to above are the result of confusion 

 among blacks and browns, the appearance of so many chestnut foals from 

 undoubted black sires makes it obvious that black contains chestnut ; that is 

 that chestnut is recessive to black, which, as we have already shown, is 

 recessive to bay and brown. 



We sliould next have had to inquire closely into the true colours of the 

 mares and foals involved in the last two tables — an inquiry that could not 

 have been satisfactory because of many of the mares and foals being novr 

 dead and forgotten — but we were saved this by the discovery of a note on 

 the point at issue in the English translation of Herr von OEttingen's 

 recently published work on " Horse Breeding." Herr von (Ettingen is 

 director of the royal stud at Trakehnen in Grermany. He tells us (p. 329) 

 that for over a hundred years blacks have been bred in one special stud 

 (Gurdszen, 90 to 100 brood mares), browns in another (Dranzkehmen, 70 to 

 80 brood mares), and chestnuts in another (Jonasthal, 50 to 60 brood mares); 

 while " in two studs (in Trakehnen 80 to 100 brood mares, and in 

 Bajohrgallen 60 to 70 brood mares) all colours are represented and mixed 

 with each other." Then having pointed out that at Trakehnen they have 

 thus " plenty of material at hand from which to construct laws as to the 

 transmission of coat colour," he proceeds : — 



" There exists a distinct regularity with grays, chestnuts, and blacks as 

 regards transmission. Tliis regularity is as follows : grays and chestnuts 

 mated only to their own colour, produce either chestnuts or grays, and black 

 with black about 8 per cent, cliestnuts (often dark chestnuts), the rest always 

 blacks, never black-brown or dark brown." 



This statement confirms our conclusion that black is dominant to chestnut, 

 and also the other that it is recessive to brown. It also confirms the opinion 

 already expressed that most if not all " black ". Thoroughbreds are browns. 

 Herr von (Etmann's observation that greys with greys breed only greys and 

 chestnuts is no doubt correct ; but in two mixed studs containing in all from 

 140 to 170 mares there could not have been enough grey mares and sires 

 from which to draw a general conclusion. 



The relative positions of bay and brown remain to be settled ; and 

 although there is evidence in favour of brown being dominant to bay, this 

 conclusion is not clearly established. It must be remembered these are the 

 colours breeders have the greatest difficulty in discriminating; and errors 

 affect sires and dams and foals. In regard to sires it has been possible to 

 correct the registered colours in several cases ; and while every correction 

 has increased the evidence in favour of brown being dominant, it is still 



