228 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



of them by a Southdown, i.e., a rfun-faced and polled ram. The 

 lambs thus begotten were crosses. 



"In the autumn of 1845, the same ewes were tupped by a 

 very fine pure black-faced horned ram, i.e., one of exactly the 

 same breed as the ewes themselves. To Mr. Shaw's astonish- 

 ment, the lambs were all, without exception, polled and brownish 

 in the face, instead of being black-faced and homed. 



"In autumn, 1846, the ewes were again served with anoflier- 

 very superior ram of their own breed. Again the lambs were 

 mongrels. They did not, indeed, exhibit so much of the char- 

 acters of the Leicester and Southdown breeds, as did the lambs 

 of the previous year ; but two of them were polled, and one dun- 

 faced, with very small horns, while the other three were white- 

 faced, with small round horns only. Mr. Shaw at length parted 

 with those fine ewes, without obtaining from them one pure bred 

 lamb. 



"To the foregoing examples, I may add two important general 

 statements on the subject, made by Mr. M'Gillavray and by Pro- 

 fessor Low. The former, after referring to several of the cases 

 just given, adds: ^ Many more instances might be cited, did time 

 permit. Among cattle and horses they are of every day occur- 

 rence : ' and the latter, after giving the particulars already quoted 

 respecting the horse, observes, 'many analogous examples could 

 be given in the case of other animals.' And I may remark, gen- 

 erally, that since my attention was first particularly drawn to the 

 subject, inquiry made in various quarters has satisfied me of the 

 accuracy of these general allegations. I have not, it is true, 

 seen any examples of the sort; but opportunities for doing so 

 have not lain in my way. I have learnt, however, that many 

 among the Agricultural body in this district are familiar with the 

 thing to a degree that is annoying to them ; finding that, after 

 breeding crosses, their cows, though served with bulls of the 

 same breed, yield crosses still, or rather mongrels. 



