GENERAL INTKODUCTION. Ixxi 



ancestors of Lord Morton's chestnut mare, or throuffli 

 the black horse with which she was subsequently mated. 

 To make the experiment complete, she should have been 

 mated with a horse that was not in the habit of having 

 striped offspring, instead of with a black Arab (in which 

 stripes were probably latent), or at least as well as with 

 the black Arab. But even if it be admitted Lord Mor- 

 ton's mare was infected by the quagga, a comparison of 

 the filly (Fig. 15) with the first sire (the quagga. Fig. 13) 

 conclusively shows the infection was not of the kind 

 believed in by breeders ; it did not result in quagga- 

 like any more than it resulted in quagga-hybvid-like 

 markings. At the most the quagga produced some dis- 

 turbance, which caused the mare to throw back to her 

 own ancestors.* 



Breeders dread " infection " because they believe the 

 subsequent offspring take after the first sire ; that a 

 thoroughbred mare may throw back to a cart-horse, 

 while a mare which has bred mules is likely to throw 

 back to a jackass. If the sire (supposing he has any 

 influence on the subsequent progeny by other sires) leads 

 to their resembling some former ancestor of their dam, 

 breeders of thoroughbreds should in most cases endeavour 

 to have their mares infected. If by putting their 

 mares to donkeys the subsequent pure-bred foals 

 " harked back " to ancestors some generations removed, 

 the sooner this plan is adopted the better. Reversion 

 to the vigorous hardy horses of bygone days would be 

 the salvation of the English race-horse. 



Though my experiments are not yet at an end, they 

 have proved conclusively enough that " infection " does 

 not always occur, as many seem to think. They, in fact, 

 support the view of experienced Continental mule breeders, 

 which is that telegony, if it occurs at all, occurs but 

 seldom. Should it eventually be found that out of say 



* It is conceivable that the previous sire, thousli not responsible for 

 visible structural ciianges in the subsequent offspring to other sires, may 

 profoundly influence tlie constitution, i. e. lead to phijsiological " infection." 

 He might, f.y., confer immunity to certain diseases. 



