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On the Inheritance of Coat-Colour in Cattle 
This statement led to the framing of the following questions, which were issued 
in a circular form to the breeders of blue-grey cattle*: 
We are told that breeders of blue-grey cattle object to white shorthorn bulls, whose parents 
were not both pure white as giving bad results. 
(i) Can you from your own experience tell us whether you have bred from such a shorthorn 
bull, and if so whether you found it to give bad colour results and what these results were? 
(ii) If a blue-grey cow be crossed with a white shorthorn what is the resulting coat-colour 1 
Could you give us actual instances of this cross ? In particular do pure white cattle ever result 
from this cross? 
(iii) If the blue-grey cross be covered by a Galloway bull, what is the resulting coat-colour ? 
Do black as well as blue-grey offspring result? Can you give us instances in your own experience? 
(iv) If the blue-grey cross be mated with itself, blue-grey cow with blue-grey bull, what is the 
resulting coat-colour? Do you know instances of black cattle or pure white cattle resulting from 
this cross ? Are the majority of the offspring blue-grey ? 
It will be observed that questions (ii), (iii), and (iv) deal respectively with the 
crosses {BW)x{WW), (BW) x (BB) and (BW) x (BW) and were intended to 
elicit information with regard to these matings. Question (i) was framed so as to 
draw forth either facts or impressions of the breeder as to the need for purity in the 
white ancestry. 
These questions produced a number of answers — the experience of all breeders 
being by no means alike — which we have summarised below. We have most 
heartily to thank these gentlemen for their kindness and invariable patience in 
replying to our queries. 
There appears to be general assent to the proposition that a pure bred Galloway 
cow and a white shorthorn bull of white parentage give the desired blue-grey 
cross. 
When the white shorthorn bull is not from white parentage, Messrs Hyslop 
state that besides greys, there appear reds, blacks, particolour black and white, and 
occasionally a white with dark nose and insides of ears. Mr de Vere Irving prefers 
to use a shorthorn white bull of white parentage on both sides. He finds on using 
a white bull of roan parentage, that the offspring are liable to come dark, some 
almost black in colour, and others very dark blue-grey. Mr G. Hodgson always tries 
if possible to get a bull from white parents, which he finds makes the progeny the 
desired light blue-grey. If a white bull of white parentage of a satisfactory type 
is not to be had, then he takes one from roan pareiats, but this in his experience 
makes the colour of a darker nature. Mr R. Tinniswood has bred from a pure 
bred Galloway and a white shorthorn bull not of white parentage and has had 
occasional coloured calves from this cross. He considers that it is very desirable 
that the white shorthorn bull should be from white parents to get the best results. 
Bulls not from white parents mated with pure bred Galloways in the majority of 
cases give the right colour, but may give reds, roansf or nearly blacks. Mr Tinnis- 
* We have to thank Messrs Harrison and Son of Carlisle for kindly providing us with a list of 
blue-grey cattle breeders. 
+ The red and roan hair we have examined is exactly alike in appearance to that of red and roan 
shorthorns. 
