RECORD: Alastor. 1861. Dun horses. The Field (4 May): 21.

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2022. RN1

NOTE: See the record for this item in the Freeman Bibliographical Database by entering its Identifier here.
A reply to Darwin, C. R. 1861. Dun horses. The Field 17 (27 April): 358 (F1960).


[page] 21

DUN HORSES.—I hope some one will be able to throw some light on Mr Darwin's question as to the breed of dun-coloured horses. In the meantime I have heard it asked, what is a dun-coloured horse? I think it is doubtful if the dealers would accept Mr Darwin's definition of dun-colour; at any rate they would be indifferent to the test of the spinal stripe and the dark bare of the legs. If I am not mistaken, they dwell more on the muzzle (as in some other colours), and on the mane and tail, which must be black or dark. Horses of a dun-colour (meaning thereby of a mealy cream-colour with black or dark manes and tails) are not only to be found as mere cobs or cart-horses, for I have not unfrequently seen very fair carriage horses of that colour, and I recollect some years ago a friend of mine possessing one which was an excellent hunter, i.e., "very fast and a capital fencer," and well up to 12 stone across a stiff country; but I never heard of a dun racer, good or bad. Ever since I have read Mr Darwin's world-famed book on the "origin of species" I have looked with great interest at every dun horse I have met.—ALASTOR.


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

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