University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

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Photograph in the magazine The Art of Driving of a carriage being driven through a park by two teams of horses while people watch in 1913. The caption beneath the image reads, 'Captain Quintin Dick's Team at a Meet of the Coaching Club.'

Scope and Contents Ewart writes that the examination of the skulls from the Roman fort near Melrose has proved that horses representing four distinct varieties or species were living under domestication during the first century. The Zoology Board of the Royal Society Government Grant Committee have started an investigation to ascertain the origins of various species of horse by examining bones and cross-breeding. Ewart requests Russell's financial help with meeting the costs of this investigation....

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Balfour expresses her hope that the Highland and Agricultural Society gives him a grant to continue his experiments and thanks Ewart for accepting her financial assistance. She goes on to discuss the 'infection' of telegony and the positioning of animal markings and gradations in colour on zebras and horses.

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Heatley provides details about the pack horse stallion 'Lord Nelson'. He reports that he has only been able to find in the district one Devon pack horse, plus a colt, to serve as a stud. He complains about the Board of Agriculture and proposes setting up a 'Pack Horse Association' among Devon gentlemen and farmers, and asks Ewart if he would care to join.

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Plumb asks Ewart for a copy of a paper which he presented to the Royal Society in 1902 on a new species of horse. He mentions that he has used lantern slides in his own lectures showing some of Ewart's work on telegony and regrets not introducing himself to Ewart at the Royal Agricultural Show at York in 1900. He mentions his own work in the instruction in breeds, breeding, feeding and management of domestic animals at Ohio State University.

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Alexander writes that his friend Tyrwhitt-Drake, the secretary of the Menagerie Club, is coming to Edinburgh and would like to meet Ewart. He also reports that he thinks both his ponies are in foal and that the colt is now very quiet to ride.

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Lort-Phillips criticises the conduct of the Board of Agriculture for their collaboration with the Hunters Improvement Society in the army horse breeding scheme. He disparages the emphasis that has been placed on the Premium Thoroughbred horse, 'the wretched brutes that have done more harm to Light Horse Breeding than anything else.'

There are also two typed copies of the letter, presumably made at a later date.

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Forsyth reports that the Congested Districts Board are now ceasing to breed ponies for the crofters as they believe they now have enough stock to keep them going. He thinks that the Board would be happy to purchase the ponies 'Fatima II' and 'Rhona' with their foals and agrees with Ewart that a Highland Pony Society should be formed to make for fairer judging between different breeds.

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Robertson writes that he is enclosing a reply to Professor Wilson which he has sent to be printed in Nature (reply not present). He does not see why Wilson considers himself superior in questions relating to the pigmentary character of the Equidae, as Robertson has noticed many errors in Wilson's own work in his paper on coat colour now before the Royal Dublin Society.

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Lort-Phillips complains about the situation with the 'Standing Committee' and the Hunters Improvement Society, namely their decision to use half-bred horses for breeding.