136 



Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1918. 



DIFFERENCE IN INHERITANCE OF THE WHITE SPOTS IN 

 CATTLE COATS. 



A preliminary study of the white markings found in the 

 coats of dairy cattle satisfied the author that the areas, (star, 

 star strip and blaze; neck; shoulders; rump; flanks; legs and 

 belly) designated by Allen as the principal divisions of this white 

 were correct. Creusa's Lady shows the typical white spotting 

 of an animal bearing a number of these areas. 



The exact descriptions, including photographs of both sides 

 of all the animals made it possible to study the inheritance 

 of these areas considered separately, as well as present or ab- 

 sent for the animal's whole coat. Table III treats the inheri- 

 tance of two of the white areas for white markings into which 

 the coats have been found to be divisible. 



TABLE III. 

 Inheritance of White Markings. 



Mating. 



Sire 



Piebald 

 Solid Color 

 Piebald 

 Solid Color 



Piebald 



Solid Color 

 Piebald 



Solid Color 



Dam 



Solid Color 

 Piebald 

 Piebald 

 Solid Color 



Solid Color 



Piebald 

 Solid Color 



Character of resulting offspring. 



5 Solid Color, 10 Piebald 

 2 Solid Color, 3 Piebald 



6 Solid Color, 22 Piebald 

 1 Solid Color 



2 Solid Color 



3 Piebald 



The breeding tests made it clear that the bulls were all 

 heterozygous for the piebald factor on the single factor hypothe- 

 sis. Such being the case piebald x solid color gave more piebalds 

 than would be expected of a good back cross ratio (5 to 10) and 

 the mating of piebald by piebald (6 solid colored to 22 piebald) 

 slightly more than a good F 2 ratio. These ratios always favor 

 the piebald and taken in consideration with other investigations 

 make it doubtful if any such simple hypothesis of a single men- 

 delian factor explains the facts. Furthermore, the results set 

 forth in the above table could equally well be explained by the 



