16 THE COW 



spring sunshine. The rearing of the so-called "hot- 

 house lamb" makes it most desirable to have the 

 young dropped in the early winter; but in this, 

 with every effort, only partial success is possible. 

 The same spring-tide reproduction is noted in poul- 

 try, for egg-laying practically ceases in the three 

 months farthest removed from April and May; 

 and the wild fauna of our fields and woods render 

 almost perfect obedience to this same law. The 

 fact that the cow and the horse have largely 

 forgotten this ancestral trait bears testimony 

 to the vast period of time which must have elapsed 

 since they became subject to the control of man. 



Other phenomena connected with maternity are 

 being modified with the generations. For example, 

 in those breeds of fowls in which the egg-laying 

 tendency is most highly developed, the instinct 

 of the female to sit upon the eggs to incubate them 

 is surely far weaker than once it was and has be- 

 come most uncertain and capricious. Doubtless 

 there was a far-off time when the cow guarded her 

 young calf most jealously and, if necessary, fought 

 off the wolf and bear, with lowering head and 

 flashing horns, although she does not, like the 

 horse, use her hoofs in combat. But of this old 

 mother instinct only the rudiments are left. 



To the dairy cow of today, the birth of a calf 

 is an incident rather than an event. She seems to 

 reason that it will be well taken care of anyway 

 without any particular attention on her part. On 



