FUNCTIONS OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 141 



its influence on offspring begat by other blood. But I do say, 

 and I do so from experience, tiiat connection witli conception, 

 particularly in maiden bitches, influences the marking and 

 character of future litters. 



I may give one instance as particularly illustrative of this 

 fact. A pure-bred white English terrier, belonging to my 

 brother, by mischance, had connection with a yellow-and- 

 white mongrel, to which she conceived, and in each of her 

 succeeding three litters, though put to stainless dogs purely 

 white, the whelps were marked precisely like the first litter, 

 yellow and white ! 



When the bitch has been served, she should again be se- 

 cluded, for she will then be more likely to retain the impres- 

 sion of the dog she has been mated with, and not only so, but 

 danger of a second conception will be avoided. This may 

 appear contrary to the laws of nature, but it is nevertheless a 

 fact that bitches will re-conceive.* Of this I have had ocular 

 demonstration. One instance I will give. A full-sized black- 

 and-tan terrier, belonging to a relative of mine at Abbots 

 Bromley, had connection with a dog of the same species ; 

 within an hour afterwards I saw her connected with a curly 



* In the bitch, many observers have assured themselves that super- 

 foetation is by no means unfrequent. Rainard, Blaine, and others speak 

 of it. Blaine says; " I am disposed to think that bitches are capable of 

 superfoetation ; that is, they conceive more than once. If this is the case, 

 a bitch may copulate to-day, and become impregnated, and ;n a day or 

 two she may copulate again, and again become impregnated. This is not 

 frequent, I believe; but it certainly does happen, or we could not account 

 for the different periods at which the progeny sometimes appear. I have 

 known a week, and in one case even ten days, intervene between the pup- 

 pings ; but one or two days is not at all uncommon. As a still more con- 

 vincing proof, the whelps often appear of different kinds." (The italics 

 are mine. — J. W. H.) 



" It must be remembered that the bitch remains in ' heat ' for three or 

 four days, and will seek for repeated intercourse with the male during that 

 period. It must, therefore, either be concluded that the last intercourse 

 was the successful one, or that one or more ova were impregnated at each 

 copulation."— Fleming's " Veterinary Obstetrics." Anomalies in Gesta- 

 tion, p. 153. 



