142 TELEGONY AND KETEllSION. 



considered the more complicated it becomes. But not 

 only has inbreeding to be taken into consideration, the 

 fact already insisted on must also be borne in mind, viz. 

 that pure-bred foals are occasionally striped ; in other 

 words, that the result of " infection " on the subsequent 

 progeny by a zebra sire may be identical or almost identical 

 with simple reversion. 



If infection is not only possible but constant, it follows 

 from what has already been said that the telegonous off- 

 spring might either (1) resemble* a remote ancestor, or (2) 



* It should be borne in mind tliat any part of an animal may be 

 "infected;" that in the case of foals evidence of infection may be found 

 in, e.g., the hoofs, thoun;h not in the warts ; in the structure, though not 

 in the colour of the hair; in the movements and habits, though not, as far 

 as the eye can detect, in the muscles or nervous system. Hitherto atten- 

 tion has been mainly directed to the colour of the hair and feathers in 

 experiments bearing on reversion — hardly at all to the general structure 

 and habits. That crossing of somewhat extreme forms affects the nervous 

 system, the muscles, and skeleton, as well as the colour and form of the 

 skin and its appendages, hair, feathers, hoofs, &c., is extremely probable. 

 Last summer a small dark bantam hatched out nine chicks, three of 

 which were by a large Indian game cock having some Dorking blood iu 

 his veins. Of the three cross-bred chicks the two survivors might now 

 be almost taken for jungle fowl, the cock only differing from some pure- 

 bred birds I saw recently at Achnamara, in Argyllshire, in having a double 

 comb and comparatively few dark hackles on the breast. But what is 

 perhaps more remarkable, the birds resembling jungle fowl in size and 

 colour differ from the others in their habits. For example, when 

 suddenly disturbed they fly off, sometimes for a considerable distance, 

 evidently in a state of great alarm; while the other members of the same 

 brood either take little notice of the intruder, or simply run under a 

 hedge or whatever cover may be available. Mclvenny Hughes, in his 

 memoir* on " British Breeds of Cattle," refers to numerous horn-cores 

 found in ancient ditches (twelfth to fifteenth century) cleared out for the 

 foundations of tlie University Press and other buildings in Cambridge 

 during the years 1S92-3. Of over 135 horn-cores " there were none that 

 could be referred to a long-horned breed, and few that showed any traces 

 of Roman type." After carefully considering the matter, McKenny 

 Hughes came to the conclusion that these horn-cores afforded evidence of 

 the existence of a mixed breed in the act of " reverting sporadically to 

 various primeval types, but principally to the numerically predominating 

 Bos loiigifrons," i. e. to the small ancient British (Celtic) shorthorns. 

 * • Archa'logia,' vol. Iv, pp. 125— 15S. 



