230 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



qualities to her system? This supposition will, perhaps, appear 

 the less improbable, if regard be had to the length of time during 

 which the connection between the mother and fcetus is kept up, 

 and during which this transference of materials must go on — a 

 period of some weeks, or even of several months. But the qual- 

 ities referred to must in part be derived by the foetus from its 

 male parent, and be to that extent identical with his. The dis- 

 tinctive peculiarities, therefore, of this parent may thus come to 

 be engrafted on the mother, or to attach in some way to her 

 system; and if so, what more likely than that they should be 

 communicated by her to any offspring she may aft.erwards have 

 by other males? 



"The influence thus supposed to be exerted by the male par- 

 ent, through or by means of the fcetus, on the constitution and 

 on the breeding powers of the female, may appropriately be 

 designated inoculation influence. To go more largely, however, 

 into this part of the subject, were beside our present purpose, 

 and would involve details, perhaps fully intelligible only to the 

 professed physiologist. But it is due to Mr. M'Gillavray, to 

 state, that his theory not only furnishes a satisfactory explanation 

 of the phenomenon, but is consistent with acknowledged facta 

 in physiology, and is borne out to a greater extent than he was 

 perhaps aware, by the known history of blood diseases. 



" In a practical point of view, however, it is quite immaterial 

 whether this theory gives the trxie explanation of the phenome- 

 non or not. All that is to prove and be assured of is, that the 

 phenomenon is exclusively referable to something corporeal (that 

 is, material or organic) connected with the prior impregnation of 

 the female. And were this indubitably certain, all that need be 

 sought after in a practical inquiry into the subject is, to observe 

 accurately the appearances presented by the animals produced in 

 the subsequent connections of the female with other males — to 

 note the degree of resemblance which obtains to the first or to 



