Cats
inbreeding which matches together genetically similar individuals. This means a better
chance of cats inheriting 2 recessive versions of a gene and new traits showing up as result -
just as they did in the Barrington colony of cats.
From a breeder viewpoint, it is sad that "recessive brown" has been lost. Shaw's descriptions
indicate that it wasn't the same as caramel. Its effects on the wider palette of feline colours -
torties, ticked and patterned tabbies, Burmese sepias, minks and colourpoints - can only be
hypothesised. From time to time there are reports of odd colours in cats, including a
tantalising "palomino" described as "the colour of a brown paper grocery bag" from the USA
that might just have been the light tan noted by Shaw.
SHAW'S TERMINOLOGY
Modern feline geneticists use b/b for chocolate, but Shaw defined chocolate as d/d, because
to him it was a dilution of black. Reading Shaw's work on black, chocolate and Barrington
annaabi.ee 
