TRIPI.ET CALVES. 277 



From this table the following points are to be noted : — 



(a) During the life time of this cow she has been eight 

 times pregnant. From these pregnancies there have been born 

 14 calves. This is certainly an unusually high, though by no 

 means unique, degree of fecundity. Tt is an average produc- 

 tion of one and three-quarters young per birth over the whole 

 breeding life of the. mother up to 1910. 



In the literature of stock-breeding there are many records of 

 cases of high fecundity in cattle. It is unnecessary to attempt 

 any extensive review of these cases here. Of continuous high 

 fecundity the following^^ case is of interest : A grade cow 

 bore and raised 9 calves within 36 months. She had twins 

 three times in succession, and in the next pregnancy triplets. 

 The first twins were dropped in January 1876, and the triplets 

 in December 1878. This gave an average of 2.25 young per 

 birth. The highest continued record of fecundity for a cow 

 which has come to my notice is that given by McGillivray in 

 his "Manual of Veterinary Science and Practice" (1857) and 

 later copied in many other veterinary works. The cow was of 

 "the black polled breed" and is said to have been "small." Her 

 breeding record was as follows : 



Year Number of calves at a birth. 



1842 I — This was the cow's first calf. 



1843 3 — All lived to adult age. 



1843 4 — One died. (Seven calves in one year). 



1844 2 — ^Lived to maturity. 



1845 3 — Lived to maturity. 



1846 6 — All died prematurely. 



i8d7 2 — Came to maturity. 



1848 4 



Total 25 — Mean number per birth ^ 3-125 



(b) As regards the sex distribution of the offspring there is 

 evidently a preponderance of females, taking the whole breed- 

 ing life of the dam together. As the data are more carefully 

 studied, however, it becomes apparent that the preponderance 

 of females is a phenomenon due to the single rather than to 

 the multiple births. 



If the four multiple gestations in the life of this cow be 

 taken together Cthat is, the pregnancies terminating in IQ05, 



^National Live Stock Jour. Vol. 10, p. 163, 1879. 



