Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09

gray. In other words. no gray horse IL to
be found whose sire or dam has not been
a gray. That like produces like or the
likeness OF some progenitor. is one OF the
recognized axiOms OF breeding and atavism,
or a relapse to The form. color and pecu-
l~isrities Of an ancestor more or less re-
mote. is a fact known to the breeder Of
every kind OF stock.
Too Many Crosses.
Blood introduced into a pedigree can
never be entirely effsced. though the eff
fects may OF course be minimized by sue
cessive crossings OF other strains. and this
will account for the appearance now and
then OF animals bearing no resemblance
TO their more immediate parents. In the
same way good and bad qualities are
equally transmitted. as well as form and
color, and may likewise lie dormant for a
time to appear later. Atavism has nothing
whatever TO do with what is termed 'tele-
gony.' and though the two are frequently
confused the very existence OF the latter
phenomenon is not vet scientifically recog-
nized and may have only the relation TO
the former that astrolOgy has TO astron-
omy. II should he mentioned that in spite
OF the lack OF scientific confederation many
breeders OF experience are firmly convinced
OF the truth OF telegony and the theory
has many adherents, more especially in the
anime world. But in the case OF gray
horses We shall find on minute investigs-
ton that the color once lost never reap
pears in subsequent offspring and is not
subject 10 the Law OF stsvtsm. This fact
may be a surprise 10 many; perhaps some
breeders may be nawa- OF II. but IL will
in practice be found II we inquire into the
matter that every gray horse we sec,
whether race horse, hunter, IN the shafts
or in the pillow. has had one OF It's parents
of this particular color.
The wonder. then, is not that now there
are so few grays TO race, hunt, 10 mount
that very distinguished regiment, the Royal
Scots Greys. or convey the bridal party 10
church. but that there are so many. when
one reflects how easily the color is lost.
SO very few horses are destined TO be used
at the stud and become fashionable sires
in comparison with mares that it would be
on the latter principally We must rely for
the preparation OF the color.
Gray Easily Os~Ifterated.
Let US see how readily it is oblitersted.
II a gray mare on being put to the stud
does not produce a gray nlly, or II her
gray mres from one cause or another are
not bred from. the color Is gone from her
family forever. Take the stud book for a
couple OF years back and see what 1t
shows about the descent OF the color in
gray horses. In the volume OF 1896 there
are only twenty-eight gray brood mares
among the 6G0 recorded on its pages. 50
only about one mare in every 800 is Of this
color.
1T may here be observed that certain
strains Of blood produce horses whose
coats are licked over with white hairs.
though in no case does the coloration
amount TO a real gray. Such markings.
for instance. are very CHARACTERISED Of the
descendants OF Birdcatcher and Venison,
both fosled In the same year, 1888. so much
so that the Birdcsteher mark has passed
into a proverb. This popularity is doubt
less a heritage from the original mare OF
the line. so far as she is known to US, and
is most commonly found In the descend
ants OF the 'Sedbury Royal mare" OF the
first volume Of the stud book. she being
the tap root of Mr.. Bruce loves No. y
family. This mare vas imported into Eng
land by Charles II. showing TO what a
great length OF time individual pecuIlarities