individuals, races, and species, are prepotent in transmitting their likeness.
This subject has been ably discussed by Prosper Lucas (14/2. 'Hered. Nat.'
tome 2 pages 112-120.), but is rendered extremely complex by the prepotency
sometimes running equally in both sexes, and sometimes more strongly in one
sex than in the other; it is likewise complicated by the presence of secondary
sexual characters, which render the comparison of crossed breeds with their
parents difficult.

It would appear that in certain families some one ancestor, and after him
others in the same family, have had great power in transmitting their likeness
through the male line; for we cannot otherwise understand how the same
features should so often be transmitted after marriages with many females, as
in the case of the Austrian Emperors; and so it was, according to Niebuhr,
with the mental qualities of certain Roman families. (14/3. Sir H. Holland
'Chapters on Mental Physiology' 1852 page 234.) The famous bull Favourite is
believed (14/4. 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1860 page 270.) to have had a prepotent
influence on the shorthorn race. It has also been observed (14/5. Mr. N.H.
Smith 'Observations on Breeding' quoted in 'Encyclop. of Rural Sports' page
278.) with English racehorses that certain mares have generally transmitted
their own character, whilst other mares of equally pure blood have allowed the
character of the sire to prevail. A famous black greyhound, Bedlamite, as I
hear from Mr. C.M. Brown "invariably got all his puppies black, no matter what
was the colour of the bitch;" but then Bedlamite "had a preponderance of black
in his blood, both on the sire and dam side."

[The truth of the principle of prepotency comes out more clearly when distinct
races are crossed. The improved Shorthorns, notwithstanding that the breed is
comparatively modern, are generally acknowledged to possess great power in
impressing their likeness on all other breeds; and it is chiefly in
consequence of this power that they are so highly valued for exportation.