PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF PIGEON BREEDING 81 



are highly prepotent. Again we may have a bird which is pre- 

 potent in more tlian one respect, tlie writer has seen this time 

 after time. Thus \\e see of wliat vahie prepotency is and the 

 minute we find we have a prepotent bird we should by all 

 means keep him because it is indeed a valuable specimen. 



LIKK BEGETS LIKE: This is very probably the most heard 

 of ]>rinciple in breeding. It is vcr\' probably also the most mis- 

 understood of all. A great many novices believe it in its true 

 sense. Herein is where they are wrong and not at all unlikely 

 they are wrong because of the fact that they have been mis- 

 informed. For instance, it is a ^\o\\ known fact Ihat the off- 

 spring strongly resembles llic pai'ents and yet not wholly so. 

 Here is where the princi|ih' of variation and that of atavism 

 come into pla>' and upset tlie "Like Begets Like" theory. There 

 are \ariatious that happen along foi' some reason and keep the 

 youngsters from being exactly like their parents; there is the 

 tendenc\- to lireed hack and out crops some defect brought down 

 from past generations. White R\nits \\'ill produce youngsters 

 that lire White Runts true enough and the offspring will have 

 the breed and variety characteristics but in all cases the young- 

 sters from them arc not altogether like the parents. So it 

 is with other breeds and varieties. It is a proved fact that 

 both male and female exert an influence on the offspring and 

 it is because of this fact that we cannot carry out this principle 

 of breeding in its true sense of meaning for both male and 

 female are luilike, even though in minor points, and as long 

 as they are different from each other the offspring will be 

 dilterent. Like begets like simply means, after all is said, that 

 the oJt'spring inherits enough of the breed and variety re- 

 semblance to be of that breed and variety and will never be 

 an exact reproduction of either male or female. If this theory 

 of like begets like \\ere true in the broadest meaning it would 

 he easy in a way to produce good birds from good birds all the 

 time lint on the other hand we ^\■ould have no variation and 

 tlierefore no chance to improve the cjuality of our stock. 



