252 



Anatomy and Physiology of the 



The sow was afterwards bred from by two of Mr. Western's boars,, 

 and in both instances chesnut marks were prevalent in the litter, 

 which in other instances had never presented any appearance of 

 the kind." * The third we shall quote is thus given : — A cow, 

 the property of Mr. Mustard of Angus, ft chanced to come in 

 season while pasturing in a field which was bounded by that of 

 one of his neighbour's, out of which an ox jumped, and went with 

 the cow until she was brought home to the bull. The ox was 

 white, with black spots, and horned. Mr. Mustard had not a 

 horned beast in his possession, nor one with any white on it. 

 Nevertheless the produce of the following spring was a black and 

 white calf with horns." | 



We select one other case, and in another animal, namely, the 

 dog : — c< On one occasion when the late Dr. Hugh Smith was 

 travelling in the country, accompanied by a favourite female 

 setter, she became suddenly so enamoured of a mongrel that fol- 

 lowed her, that to separate them, he was forced, or rather his 

 anger irritated him, to shoot the mongrel. The image of this 

 sudden favourite, however, still haunted the bitch, and for some 

 weeks after she pined excessively, and obstinately refused inter- 

 course with any other dog. At length she admitted the caresses 

 of a well-bred setter ; but when she whelped, the Doctor was mor- 

 tified with the sight of a litter which he perceived bore evident 

 marks (particularly in colour) of the favoured cur, and they were 

 accordingly destroyed. The same also occurred in all her future 

 puppings : invariably the breed was tainted by the lasting im- 

 pression made by the mongrel. "J The latter two cases, and 

 many similar ones which might be related, particularly in the 

 dog, would seem to show that mental impressions received at the 

 time of oestrum are of themselves sufficient to stamp the progeny. 

 Be this as it may, each has a practical bearing, which he who looks 

 to the preservation of the purity of a breed will not fail to profit by. 



Before concluding this section of our address, it will be right 

 to allude to the circumstance that accidental varieties, or lusus 

 natural, may, by care in their selection, form the types of a future 

 progeny. The solidungulous breed of swine, the two digits or toes 

 being united and covered with a hoof similar to that of the horse, 

 is thus accounted for, as is also the ancon or otter breed of sheep. 



We proceed to speak of the general structure and functions of 

 the organs of reproduction in the cow and ewe — these are the 

 vagina, uterus, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries, with their several 

 appendages. In an unimpregnated state the uterus is chiefly 

 lodged within the pelvic cavity, but encroaches more or less within 



* " Philosophical Transactions," 1821. 



f " Quarterly Journal of Agriculture," vol. i., Essays, p. 28. 

 % " Blain's Canine Pathology," 1832. 



