/ 
.ON BREEDING. 613 
peculiarities is sometimes seen after a lapse of many years. “ The 
pedigree of many of our present racers can be satisfactorily traced 
back for one hundred and fifty years ; and many so recorded 
have never received one impure admixture;” and there exists at 
the present time many eminent turf-breeders, who maintain that 
they can detect even the slightest cross in form and qualities to 
the sixteenth generation. 
A singular instance of the effects of a mixture with the native 
blood is seen in the descendants of Sampson. He was a large 
powerful animal, not unlike a carriage-horse: he beat all the best 
horses of his time; nor was he ever beaten, or even whipped, till 
his sight and health failed; when he was conquered by a horse 
which he had beaten twice before. His pedigree appears unex¬ 
ceptionable in the stud book; yet there is not a doubt that 
there is a flaw somewhere, which is probably owing to his pos¬ 
sessing some of the “ Cleveland bay'’ blood. His immense size, 
as well as excellent qualities, are seen at the present time in a 
number of our leading stallions and brood mares, who are de¬ 
scended from him. 
It is a very common opinion, that pedigree should only be 
attended to by breeders of racers, and that it is of little con¬ 
sequence to breeders of hunters or roadsters. It certainly can¬ 
not be of much importance to the latter, in a racing point of 
view’; but as one of the means of effecting improvement among 
those valuable animals, we consider it to be of the most essential 
benefit. Where the greatest care is employed to keep the breed 
of animals perfect, disappointment oftentimes ensues. Colts do 
not always resemble their parents; thus the general law’, that 
animals produce their like, by which uniformity of species is 
maintained, suffers some exceptions; for instead of exhibiting, as 
is usually observed, the outlines of each parent softened and 
blended together in equal proportions, they may be seen like 
their grandsires. This is plainly observed in the human subject. 
“ Children,” says Mr. Lawrence, “ maybe seen like their grand¬ 
sires, and unlike the father and mother. 
‘ Fit quoque, ut inierdum similes cxistere avomm 
Possint, et referant proavorum saepe figuras. 
* * ****** 
Inde Venus varias producit sorte figuras, 
Majorumque refert vultus, vocesque comasque/ 
Lucret . lib. ii. 
“ Thus it is possible that an African Albiness and an European 
may produce together a true mulatto, the offspring receiving its 
dark tint through the mother, although she has it not herself. 
The offspring of a black and white may be either black or white, 
I 
