35 



a good deal of close inbreeding ; but inbreeding, even 

 incestuous breeding, is not unnatural in the horse, and 

 there is evidence in the General Stud Book to prove that 

 incestuous breeding may be highly successful. 



It may be added that roans are not necessarily the 

 produce of roan parents or of one roan parent. To 

 illustrate the possibility of producing the colour from a 

 mixed mating, we may take the case of blue grey, some- 

 times called " blue roan " cattle. There is a great demand 

 for beasts of this colour, but the colour is not peculiar 

 to any breed or family ; it is obtained by mating a black 

 Polled Angus cow with a white Shorthorn bull. It is at 

 least probable that the same result would follow the 

 mating of a grey stallion and a black mare. 



