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Show 1884.] MR. A. D. BARTLETT ON HYBRID BOVINE ANIMALS. 401 have been produced by a mixture of species. And in support of this opinion I will call your attention to some of the species of the Equine and Asinine group of animals. And I shall endeavour to show some very remarkable points to be found in confirmation of my ideas upon this subject. During my visit to Norway I was much interested in noticing the multitudes of ponies in that country. By far the greater portion of them were dun-coloured, varying from dark dun to a pale cream-colour ; but the most striking peculiarity was the striped or zebra-marked legs, together with one or two, and sometimes three, shoulder-stripes; most of them had also the dark medial line running from the mane down the back, ending in the tail. These characters appear frequently among individuals of the common Domestic Ass, and also among Mules, the produce of the Horse and Ass. The former Earl of Derby published in the 'Knowsley Menagerie' plates of several hybrid animals belonging to this family, the most remarkable one being of a double Mule that was born in tbe Gardens of this Society. This Mule had in its composition the Zebra, common Ass, and Horse. You will observe in the illustration now before you-and I can say from m y own knowledge it is a most accurate representation of this animal-that the long hair commences from the base of the tail, like that of the Horse, whereas all the Zebras and Asses have the long hair at the extremity of their tails only. M y object in bringing forward this part of the subject is in the hope that it may induce experiments to be made that will lead to some important and useful discoveries. Having such positive proof of the fertility of some hybrids, I feel anxious that the old superstition should be entirely removed. The belief, so general, that all hybrids or mules are barren and useless for breeding-purposes is simply a stupid and ignorant prejudice, and has been the means, in my opinion, of preventing many valuable discoveries. The late Mr. Darwin in his ' Origin of Species' calls particular attention to the Zebra-like markings observable in a number of animals of the Equine and Asinine family, and it appears to me to be highly probable that the Horse was originally produced by the mixture of species, seeing the unlimited variation in size,^ colour, form, and marking, and bearing in mind that no wild animal has been discovered that fairly represents the Horse. The zebra-markings, so common among the very ancient stock of ponies in Norway, seem to indicate their remote origin to be connected with a striped animal, the traces of which are still visible. I had intended to extend these remarks, and to have added a list of the hybrids that are known to be fertile, but finding that there are some valuable experiments now being carried out by Mr. Day and others, in the hope of producing a non-migratory Salmon, by the mixture of other species of the Salmonidee, I have deferred doing so in order to make the list more complete. |