THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. XLY December, 1911 No. 540 



THE INHEEITANCE OF COLOR IN SHORT- 

 HORN CATTLE 



A Study in Somatic Blends Accompanying Gametic 

 Segregation and Intea-zygotic Inhibition 

 and Reaction 



H. H. LAUGHLIN 

 Carnegie Station for Experimental Evolution, 

 Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. 



The men who made the breed of Shorthorn cattle were 

 in many respects the most skillful breeders of domestic 

 animals. They had many rich and varied inheritance 

 lines to draw upon, and in developing the breed they had 

 high ideals of real excellence, largely ignoring the super- 

 ficial quality of color. A consequence of this neglect of 

 color is that the great breed of Shorthorn cattle is mongrel 

 in this respect, ranging as follows: Solid red— varying 

 from the richest dark to a light yellowish; spotted red- 

 and- white; red-roan; and white — besides many inter- 

 grades and combinations of these shades and patterns. 

 It is the prevailing experience among Shorthorn breeders 

 that the color of the calf can not be accurately predicted 

 before its birth. Reflecting this experience, Mr. B. 0. 

 Cowan, of the American Shorthorn Breeders' Associa- 

 tion, writes: 



Owing to the fact that Shorthorns are of mixed colors, you can not 

 with absolute certainty, before birth, tell what will be the color of the 

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