not as with plants through a succession of bud-generations. With animals the
act of reversion, if it can be so designated, does not pass over a true
generation, but merely over the early stages of growth in the same individual.
For instance, I crossed several white hens with a black cock, and many of the
chickens were, during the first year, perfectly white, but acquired during the
second year black feathers; on the other hand, some of the chickens which were
at first black, became during the second year piebald with white. A great
breeder (13/23. Mr. Teebay in 'The Poultry Book' by Mr. Tegetmeier 1866 page
72.) says, that a Pencilled Brahma hen which has any of the blood of the Light
Brahma in her, will "occasionally produce a pullet well pencilled during the
first year, but she will most likely moult brown on the shoulders and become
quite unlike her original colours in the second year." The same thing occurs
with light Brahmas if of impure blood. I have observed exactly similar cases
with the crossed offspring from differently coloured pigeons. But here is a
more remarkable fact: I crossed a turbit, which has a frill formed by the
feathers being reversed on its breast, with a trumpeter; and one of the young
pigeons thus raised at first showed not a trace of the frill, but, after
moulting thrice, a small yet unmistakably distinct frill appeared on its
breast. According to Girou (13/24. Quoted by Hofacker 'Ueber die
Eigenschaften' etc. s. 98.) calves produced from a red cow by a black bull, or
from a black cow by a red bull, are not rarely born red, and subsequently
become black. I possess a dog, the daughter of a white terrier by a fox-
coloured bulldog; as a puppy she was quite white, but when about six months
old a black spot appeared on her nose, and brown spots on her ears. When a
little older she was badly wounded on the back, and the hair which grew on the
cicatrix was of a brown colour, apparently derived from her father. This is
the more remarkable, as with most animals having coloured hair, that which
grows on a wounded surface is white.

In the foregoing cases, the characters which with advancing age reappeared,