SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
597 
came vicious and would kick. These animals all seem deficient 
in the osseous development of the head, especially the zygomatic 
processes; animals were well formed, but all presented a pecu¬ 
liarly small and ill-set eye, which was nevertheless very keen of 
sight, thus making the vice doubly mean, as they would not only 
kick at you, but probably hit you every time. The remarks con¬ 
tinued to say that for four generations these horses have been 
vicious, and all except one remain the property of the same man. 
Human nature is very strange. Too generations of kickers, and 
good shots at that, would be enough for the average mortal, and 
we all exclaim, why didn’t he get rid of them ? No doubt he went 
on the theory that “its a long lane that has no turn,” and his 
perseverance was finally rewarded, for the remarks say that in 
the fourth generation a colt was foaled that was a prodigal. 
Of the cribbers the sex was equally divided, three being male 
and three females; in color, two were bays, and one each black, 
white, brown and grey. ^The age of development in one case 
was as early as the second month, three at four years, one at 
five and one as late as twelfth. In three cases dam had same 
habit. Observer remarks that in one case incisor teeth were close 
together, but an operation resulted in no benefit. 
In another case observer is of opinion that colts acquire habit 
! more by imitation than heredity, as when colts were taken from 
dam’s side when young they became free from habit. 
In the case that developed at twelve years old observer re¬ 
marks no assignable cause; animal has thrived poorly for past 
fifteen months. 
In the case of balkiness the subject was a bay mare. She 
produced three colts, all by different sires; all showed balkiness, 
especially after standing a day or so. 
Your committee, in conclusion, wishes to remark that although 
a sire or dam may be perfectly sound, if they have a bad forma-x 
tion of joint, their progeny are likely to inherit said formation, 
and under proper, or, rather, improper conditions, develop un¬ 
soundness. This is a point breeders should look well to. 
And we would rather breed to a sire with a good flat hock, 
that under extraordinary strain had thrown out a spavin, than to 
