ee. ee ae 
1 Dec., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 555 
TELEGONY. 
Wuat is telegony? Telegony is a distinct impression of a first impregnation 
on future progeny of the same sire. The Lire Stock Journal Says :— 
The theory of telegony is one upon which scientific opinion is probably 
pretty equally divided at the present time. Tt is one of those problems in the 
science of stock-breeding requiring such careful observation over a necessarily 
extended period, that great time must elapse before definite facts can be 
recorded, if, indeed, they ever can be authentically ascertained so as to raise it 
from a possible theory to a well-founded truism. With the exception of 
Professor Cossar Ewart’s etperiments at Penicuik, few systematic attempts 
have been made in this country to solve the problem. It is one involving great 
expenditure, much labour and experience, careful observation, and the faithful 
recording of every detail, however insignificant, that bears upon the subject. 
On the completion of the Penieuik experiments much light may be thrown 
upon the question, which should be full of interest to all breeders of stock, and 
whether the experiments come to a successful issue or not, great credit is 
certainly due to Professor Cossar Ewart for his disinterested labours in this 
connection, 
PREPOTENCY. 
It is well known to breeders of all kinds of stock that pure-bred sires are 
more impressive than under-bred or. cross-bred sires, and that by careful 
selection and mating along scientific lines, under-bred stock can be raised in 
time to come within the term “ pure-bred.” This accepted fact neither proves 
nor disproves telegony, but it seems natural to suppose that—were the original 
germ permanently situated by first sires—under-bred features would be more 
slowly worn out, and conversely, pure-bred characteristics would deteriorate | 
less rapidly. It is held by many breeders that parents, of either sex, possessing 
the purer breeding and fixity of type, are the more prepotent, and that the 
progeny incline to whichever side the balance of breeding and type lies, 
‘Telegony, however, if it does exist—and uthough there may be no positive 
proof of its action, there are many apparent indications of it —necessarily 
emanates from original sires by the inoculation of the female ovum during 
coition. With pregnancy, saturation follows, and it is held that. the original 
male strains always remain hermetically associated with the female blood to a 
varying degree in correspondence with the prepotency of individual sires. The 
characteristics of first sires may make ‘themselves apparent in innumerable 
ways —in colour, conformation, constitution, and temperament, but they may be 
so slight that they are practically imperceptible, and, on the other hand, they 
may be so Peoratnent as almost to bring the theory of telegony within the range 
of established truth. By continuous breeding the distinctive features of 
original sires are gradually reduced, though they may never absolutely disappear. 
REVERSION AND VARIATION, 
All breeders of stock are familiar with reversion, or atayism, as it is 
occasionally called, and even urder the care of the most experienced breeders 
reversions occur from time to time in the most unaccountable manner. They 
are more frequent, however, during the formation of particular breeds of stock 
than when breeds are permanently fixed and established. This principle is 
borne out in all classes of stock ; thus, in-and-in breeding, whilst in some cases 
it may lead to deterioration of size and delicacy of constitution when practised 
unscientifically, is no doubt responsible for the exccllency of all kinds of British 
stock at the present day. But reversion and telegony ave essentially distinct, 
because the former peculiarity may revert along the female just as easily as 
along the male line of descent, the balance naturally depending upon whichever 
parent possesses the greater prepotency. Telegony, as already explained, can 
only revert to original sires. In this way telegony, if it be accepted as a fact, 
must be understood to be absolutely separated from atavism and variation ; on 
the other hand, if it only remain a hypothesis, it is difficult to say what is 
atavism and what is telegony, or to deny that both terms are identical in their 
application, Instead of reversion and variation being always consequent upon 
