6 REPLIES TO A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ON BREEDING. 
but it is less likely than it was some time back, as the common 
bull is now better bred than he formerly was. This peculiarity 
appears rather common in the dog. 
In answer to the same question, Mr. Merrick says, it 
is a fact that high-bred cows will frequently conceive to a 
low-bred bull, after having failed to one of pure breed. The 
experience of his own groom, who has had the management 
of stallions for fourteen years, is “ that he has frequently 
noticed that well-bred mares, which have been difficult to 
stint with thorough-bred horses, have bred to an inferior, 
and subsequently to a thorough-bred stallion ; but her stock 
by the latter has frequently showed traces of inferior blood 
not to have been expected from the breed of either the sire 
or dam.” 
On the subject of preventing barrenness in mares, we are 
furnished with but few new facts, except that, Mr. Barker 
says, if the mare be put to another description of horse, that 
it is a practice with some persons to draw blood from her 
during the act of copulation. But this we believe to be an 
old practice. Mr. Stevens states that there would be few^er 
cases of barrenness in mares if they were better fed, and 
better care w ere taken of them than is generally done. 
In answer to our twentieth question, Mr. Gibbon replies 
that there is no certain rule to guide us as to whether the 
mare is pregnant or not until she is half, or a little more 
advanced in pregnancy. At which time he refers as a test 
to the usual mode of giving the mare a bucketful of cold 
water, a few minutes after which the foal may be either seen 
to struggle, or be felt by placing the hand on the inferior 
part of the abdomen a little anterior to the mammary 
gland. 
Mr. Chamberlain says, the early symptoms appear to be, 
cessation of desire for the male, a less irritable state of the 
system, and a disposition to become fat. 
The observations of Messrs. Stanley and Merrick are to 
the same effect. 
THE FOAL. 
Mr. Barker, in answer to question five, states that the 
offspring inherits the good or bad qualities of the sire, in 
preference to the dam. And in answer to question six, he 
remarks, “ that aged sires get more fillies than colts.” 
Mr. Chamberlain thinks that constitutional defects are more 
frequently transmitted from the dam. And in answ T er to ques- 
tion seven, he says, there is a preponderance of females in all 
