It is one of the most strange and remarkable facts, as it is one of the least understood in connection with breeding, that the union of a bitch for the first time with a dog by which she conceives frequently exerts an influence on subsequent litters, or, as my own observations lead me to think, on individual pups, but not all, in subsequent litters. Instances of this must have come under the notice of most breeders, and the most careful and observant have from their experience recorded instances in proof of it, so that it is now an accepted fact.

This shows the urgent necessity, especially with young bitches, of acting on Somerville's advice -

Watch o'er the bitches with a cautious eye, And separate such as are going to be proud.

If this is not done an undesirable union will almost certainly be the result, and the value of the bitch for stock greatly reduced.

In such a case many breeders would at once put the strayed bitch down or discard her from their kennels; but as it is not absolutely certain to follow in every such instance that subsequent litters will be affected, and, as before stated, I do not think that in any case all pups in any subsequent litter would be so affected, I should not, if the bitch was much valued for brood purposes, go so far, but keep her for future use and see the result.

Perhaps, still more curious and inexplicable is the startling fact that the mental impression made on the mind of a bitch by a dog she has been denied sexual intercourse with, affects most sensibly the progeny resulting from a sire of a totally different form and colour. On this subject I cannot do better for readers than quote at length from such a high authority as Delabere Blaine, who had the distinguished honour of being called by his contemporaries "the father of canine pathology." Mr. Blaine says:

"Superfcetation is apt to be confounded with, or its phenomena are sometimes accounted for by, another process, still more curious and inexplicable, but which is wholly dependent on the mother - where imprint-ings which have been received by her mind previous to her sexual intercourse are conveyed to the germs within her, so as to stamp one or more of them with characteristic traits of resemblance to the dog from which the impression was taken, although of a totally different breed from the real father of the progeny. In superfcetation, on the contrary, the size, form, etc, of the additional progeny all fully betoken their origin. In the instances of sympathetic deviation, the form, size, and character of the whelps are principally the mother's, but the colour is more often the father's. It would appear that this mental impression, which is, perhaps, usually raised at some period of oestrum, always recurs at that period, and is so interwoven with the organization even, so as to become a stamp or mould for some if not all of her future progeny, the existence of which curious anomaly in the reproductive or breeding system is confirmed by acts of not unfrequent occurrence.

I had a pug bitch whose constant companion was a small and almost white spaniel dog of Lord Rivers's breed, of which she was very fond. "When it became necessary to separate her on account of her heat from this dog, and to confine her with one of her own kind, she pined excessively; and, notwithstanding her situation, it was some time before she would admit of the attentions of the pug dog placed with her. At length, however, she was warded, impregnation followed, and at the usual period she brought forth five pug puppies, one of which was perfectly white, and although rather more slender than the others, was nevertheless a genuine pug. The spaniel was soon afterwards given away, but the impression remained; for at two subsequent litters (which were all she had afterwards) she again presented me with a white pug pup, which the fanciers know to be a very rare occurrence."

I have not met with an instance such as the above in my own experience, but cases almost identical have been told me as coming within the scope of the experience of friends. Mr. James Pratt, who has been so successful a breeder of Skye terriers, has told me that one of his bitches produced a pure white Skye under similar conditions; and I could multiply such, but that must suffice on the subject of results from mental impressions.

Dr. Boulton, to whose and Mr. Tegetmeier's instructive pamphlet on the "Physiology of Breeding" I have already referred, quotes from Mr. E. L. Layard an instance of a blood mare whose progeny, a stallion and afterwards a mare, were submitted to the judgment of an observant naturalist, who declared in both instances, fine as the animals were, they bore the impress of a donkey, and, although this opinion was at first received with derision, subsequent investigation proved that the dam of these animals whilst running loose as a filly had been covered by a jackass and produced a mule foal. In the "Philosophical Transactions," 1821, it is on record that Lord Morton, having bred from a Quagga and a chestnut mare, and afterwards bred the mare to a black Arabian horse, the progeny exhibited in colour and mane a striking resemblance to the Quagga. Similar results have been seen in breeding pigs, and a curious effect of terror on a pregnant cat is given in "Transactions of the Linnaean Society," vol. IX: "The tail of the cat was accidentally trodden on with such violence as to cause the animal intense pain.

When she kittened five young ones appeared perfect in every other respect except the tail, which was in each one of them distorted near the end and enlarged into a cartilaginous knot." Owners of long and straight tailed bull bitches may perhaps learn from this how to give the caudal appendages of expected puppies the desired kink.

From the foregoing it will be seen that even very close intimacy between a bitch during oestrum and a dog she fancies may influence the progeny, although the dog has not warded her; and further, that if a second dog gains access to her at any time during heat, the probabilities are strong that superfoetation, or a second conception, will take place, resulting in two distinct sets of pups, half brothers or sisters to each other.

I am aware that Dr. Gordon Stables, in his book, "The Practical Kennel Guide," expresses an opposite opinion; he says, "It is usual to keep her (the bitch served) a week, after that time there is no danger, even if they should meet and be embraced by mongrels," adding, "I am quite convinced of this." He gives no reasons for his opinion, and has the misfortune to be diametrically opposed to our best physiologists and most observant breeders.