Appendix II. 199 



correspond, part for part, with the tissue-cells of the male from 

 which they were originally derived ; which then insures that 

 when a gemmule has thus reached its appropriate cell in the 

 female body, it will thereupon modify the pre-existing gemmules 

 in that cell, so that when they are shed and go to form the 

 germinal contents of future ova, they endow the latter with the 

 hereditary qualities of the male in question ? 



Such, it seems to me, is a fair statement of the whole case up 

 to date. But I think it may be apposite now to publish the 

 main results of an inquiry on which I have been engaged for the 

 last three years. 



First as to the facts. The investigations have been pursued 

 on three different lines : (1) I raised discussions on the subject 

 in the principal breeders' and fanciers' journals of this country, 

 and also of America. (2) I entered into private correspondence 

 with contributors of the largest experience, and also with pro- 

 fessional and amateur breeders, fanciers, &c, who addressed me 

 directly on the subject. (3) I started experiments with the 

 varieties which these inquiries indicated as most likely to 

 yield positive results. At present nothing need be said with 

 regard to these experiments, because they are not sufficiently 

 matured. But it is desirable to state the general upshot of 

 the correspondence. 



The principal result is to show that the phenomenon is of 

 much less frequent occurrence than is generally supposed. 

 Indeed, it is so rare that I doubt whether it takes place in more 

 than one or two per cent, of cases. I must add, however, that 

 nearly all my professional correspondents would deem this an 

 absurdly low estimate. Most of them are quite persuaded that 

 it is of frequent occurrence, many of them regard it as a general 

 rule, while some of them go so far as to make a point of always 

 putting a mare, a bitch, &c. to a good pedigree male in her first 

 season, so that her subsequent progenies may be benefited by 

 his influence, even though they be engendered by inferior sires. 

 But I am certain that these estimates must be largely discounted 

 in view of merely accidental resemblances, and still more on 

 account of the prevalent belief upon the subject, which, where 

 unquestioningly entertained, prevents anything like a critical 

 estimate being formed. 



