INTERVAL BETWEEN THE BIRTHS OF TWIN CALVES. 381 
upon acts of kindness, coaxing, and reward ; and such has before 
now been, and on the worst of subjects too, practised with signal 
success. For the accomplishment of this, however, time and 
patience are required to an extent beyond what horse-owners in 
general could possibly spare for such a purpose, as well as beyond 
that which few gentlemen, who could afford to give up their horses 
so long, would probably consent to. A case is related in Mr.Youatt’s 
work on Humanity to Brutes quite to the point. There was, many 
years ago, a horse purchased for the service of the Royal Artillery 
at Woolwich, whose vices were of so outrageous and dangerous a 
nature, that the rough-riders, one and all, after reiterated contests 
with him, declared him to be unbreakable. Being reported in- 
curably vicious, the animal was cast for sale. Colonel Quist, 
however, who was at that time in command of the riding-house 
department at Woolwich, requested permission to take the vicious 
horse into his own troop, to endeavour to effect that which the 
rough-riding had failed to accomplish. Laying aside all harsh 
discipline, he substituted not a merely mild but a kind and remu- 
nerative course of manege, taking care to feel his way, and “ not 
to ask too much” in any single lesson ; and the result was, after a 
long and patient course of breaking, that the horse not only lost 
every vicious inclination, but absolutely became the most tractable 
and docile of any horse in his riding-school. 
SINGULAR LENGTH OF INTERVAL BETWEEN 
THE BIRTHS OF TWIN CALVES. 
By Mr. Charles Blake, Crewkerne, Somerset 
On the 23d of April, 1846, I was send for to attend a cow, the 
property of Mr. Bidgood, a farmer, of Merriott. I ascertained that 
she had given birth to a fine calf three days previously , and had 
cleansed, and seemed perfectly easy until within a few hours past. 
She was now straining violently. On examination, I found she 
would soon give birth to another calf without assistance. She 
was left to herself, and in a short time did so, cleansed immediately 
after, and both cow and calves are doing well. 
What could have been the cause of the length of time between 
the birth of the first and second calf] — for the cow required no 
assistance in either case, nor was there any irritation or straining 
from the birth of the first until a short time before the arrival of the 
second calf. If you consider the case worth inserting in your 
valuable Journal, it is at your service. 
