their  Breeding  and  Management. 
51 
at  this  moment  supplanting  inferior  breeds  all  over  the  world — 
old  forms,  under  uniform  laws,  every  day  being  supplanted  by 
new  types  and  modifications.  I consulted  Mr.  Horace  Darwin, 
and  had  from  him  an  obliging  reply : the  study  of  these  laws 
with  a view  to  their  practical  application  is  not  professed  by 
him,  but  he  was  so  good  as  to  refer  me  to  an  article  in  the 
current  edition  of  the  ‘ Encyclopaedia  Britannica,’  under  the 
heading  of  “ Breeds  ; ” also  to  the  work  of  his  eminent  father, 
‘ The  Variation  of  Animals  and  Plants  under  Domestication.’ 
Pray  bear  in  mind  that  analogous  laws  in  many  instances 
regulate  alike  the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms.  True  it  is 
that  Nature  never  sent  her  work  for  man  to  mend  ; but  as  all 
animals  are  under  the  dominion  of  man,  so  also  is  their  modifica- 
- tion  within  the  necessary  limits  of  Nature’s  laws — hence  concrete 
interest  in  the  study  of  Law.  He  who  blindly  worships  chance 
can  have  no  ground  for  a belief  in  seed-time  and  in  harvest. 
Turning  from  science  to  art,  the  Royal  Academy  might 
perhaps  with  advantage  devote  one  of  its  empty  rooms  to  a 
winter  loan  exhibition  of  the  portraits  of  famous  horses  by 
excellent  artists,  of  which  pictures,  say  from  1700-1820,  the 
country  is  replete.  How  popular,  how  instructive  and  en- 
couraging such  an  exhibition  would  be  ; and  how  its  arrange- 
ment would  have  delighted  the  late  President  of  the  Royal 
Academy,  who  delighted  not  only  in  the  weapon  of  his  art, 
but  also  in  the  more  exciting  brush  of  R eynard  the  fox ! What 
a trotting  out  there  might  be  of  clever  old  horses,  by  such 
clever  old  artists  as  Aiken,  Chalon,  George  Morland,  Stubbs, 
Sartorius,  Ferneley,  Herring, Ward,  Landseer,  and  no  doubt  many 
others,  who,  if  unrecalled  by  me,  are  yet  well  known  to  fame.* 
Wisdom  boiled  to  an  essence  is  not  in  my  opinion  the  best 
food  for  the  robust  mind.  It  may  be  expected,  however,  that, 
considered  as  a whole,  I should  sum  up  the  results  of  the  present 
j inquiry.  I have  no  wish  unduly  to  obtrude  any  view  of  mine, 
but  would  rather  cite  the  text  that  should,  I often  think,  adorn 
every  farmer’s  office  or  business  parlour : “ Prove  all  things  ; 
hold  fast  that  which  is  good.” 
The  question  is,  the  breeding  and  management  of  half-bred 
horses  ? 
Management  I will  dispose  of  in  a few  sentences,  and  thus 
reduce  and  simplify  the  essential  question. 
* Messrs.  Graves,  of  Pall  Mall,  have  favoured  me  with  a list,  1780-1820, 
ncluding  twenty-seven  names  of  animal  painters.  Illustrations  for  this  paper 
rahould  be  furnished  by  the  Print  Room,  British  Museum.  Mr.  Walter  Gilby,  in 
London  and  in  Essex,  has  a large  and  complete  equine  collection — paintings  and 
orints;  he  mentions  Lord  Rosebery’s  splendid  pictures  at  The  Durdans,  near 
ipsom.  The  famous  ‘ Anatomy  of  the  Horse,’  by  Geo.  Stubbs,  has  recently  been 
eft  to  the  nation  : Landseer  Bequest. — C. 
E 2 
