592 
REVIEW. 
race of good milkers. They are in a great measure indifferent 
as to the bulls, — and why ? Experience has taught them that 
the secretion of a large quantity of milk is a property derived 
chiefly from the female parent.” 
In accordance with this opinion, Mr. Orton tells us, he 
caused common hens to breed with a Cochin cock, reasoning, 
that if the vital organs were due to the females, then the 
cross between these birds (being externally Cochins, and inter- 
nally common hens) should lay vjhite , instead of chocolate- 
coloured eggs, the secretion of the egg being a function of 
the vital organs. C( The half breed did what theory said they 
should do, laid white eggs; and not only white eggs, but 
eggs which, on the evidence of myself and family, were very 
inferior in taste, having lost the mellow, buttery taste of the 
egg of the Cochin.” 
The author attributes all the good qualities of the short- 
horns to the dams ; for he adds, “ we thus see a highly 
vitalised female, in other words, a female with large vital 
organs, giving stamp and character to a highly vitalised race, 
for the properties of the short-horns are those of the vital 
organs ;” and the practical deduction he draws is, that we 
should purchase the cows, not the bulls, of this breed ; and 
he moreover adds, “ the Arab will let you have his stallion, but 
his mare he will not part with at any price. The English 
breeder, on the other hand, values the stallion, he cultivates 
speed, and he finds the sire gives the locomotive organs — 
consequently his value.” 
The illustrations of his Law II are equally numerous: 
he shows what a disturbing influence a previous male may 
have in modifying progeny: hence the necessity of knowing 
if the female has ever had any male except the one which 
is the subject of experiment. One of these trials we give : 
Mr. Orton bred from white pigs, the sow being served by an 
Essex boar. The white sow had three litters from the Essex 
boar, and was then served by a white boar, and three out of 
seven of the litter were coloured. 
Our author comes to the conclusion, that gradually this 
stain is lost; but breeders wishing to produce especial sorts, 
