70 Cattle Problems. 



growths that result from special training, and growth that 

 is vital, and indispensable to the existence of milk cows. 



The Yield Marks of bulls are necessarily inherited 

 from the cow, whatever their extent ; the male being ex- 

 empted from all influences incident to storing milk. 

 Hence bulls cannot be supposed to exhibit evidences of 

 such influences, otherwise than by inheritance, of signs or 

 marks, derived from cows. And a fact, apparently well 

 established, that gives force to this evident truth, is, 

 that the reversed hair marks of bulls do not increase in 

 size after the animal is full grown ; manifestly because the 

 bull is entirely exempted from influences that mark the 

 cow. When bulls inherit the marks from strongly marked 

 cows, they are a consequence of growth in the underlying 

 parts they are formed upon ; but not of any vital or 

 organic influence, at any time during general growth. 



At maturity the mark on the bull is comparatively small ; 

 much smaller than in well-trained cows of equal size and 

 age ; showing that the causes producing the marks, oper- 

 ate on cows during the usual increase in their "milk- 

 yield." The stationary size of the inherited marks in 

 bulls after the age of maturity, is strongly in contrast 

 with the self-evident increase of the Yield Mark, in size, 

 according to increase of yield, in many cows, until maxi- 

 mum yield is made. And here, contrary to our rule, we 

 briefly quote some remarks bearing on this part of the sub- 

 ject. Mr. C. Sharpless, of Philadelphia, amongst others, 

 writing on the Yield Marks of cows, says,* in effect : 

 " It is important that the dam of a bull be unexcep- 

 tionable in her udder and Yield M.a.rk, as her qualities, 

 inherited by her son, will be transmitted/^ admitting, 

 as before< explained, that the influence of the cowf is pri- 



*See Country Gentleman, Oct. SO, 1871. 



tDr. Lucas, after wcigMng the whole evidence, comes to the conclusion 

 that every peculiarity, according to the sex in which it first appears, tends 

 to be transmitted in a greater or leaser degree by that sex.— Darwin's An. tin. 

 Domes. Vol. n, p. 93. 



