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Show 18 VARIATION CHAP. I. of our domestic animals is, that we find in the most ancient records, more especially on the monuments of Egypt much diversity in the breeds ; and that some of the br~eds closely resemble, perhaps are identical with, those still existing. Even if this latter fact were found more strictly and generally true than seems to me to be the case, what does it show, but that some of our breeds originated there, four or five thousand years ago? But Mr. Horner's researches hav~ rendered it in some degree probable that man suffiCiently civilized to have manufactured pottery existed in the valley of the Nile thirteen or fourteen thousand years a.go; and who will pretend to say how long before these ancient periods, savages, like those of Tierra del Fuego or Australia, who possess a semi-domestic dog, may not have existed in Egypt? The whole subject must, I think, remain vague; neverthelsss, I may, without here entering on any details, state that, from geographical and other con~ siderations, I think it highly probable that our domestic dogs have descended from several wild species. In regard to sheep and goats I can form no opinion. I should think, from facts communicated to me by Mr. Blyth, on the habits, voice, and constitution, .&c., of the humped Indian cattle, that these had descended from a different aboriginal stock from our European cattle ; and several competent judges believe that these latter have had more than one wild parent. With respect to . horses, from reasons which I cannot give here, I am doubtfully inclined to believe, in opposition to several authors, that all the races have descended from one wild stock. Mr. Blyth, whose opinion, from his large and varied stores of knowledge~ I should value more than that of almost any one, thinks that all the breeds of poultry have proceeded from the common wild CHAP. I. UNDER DOMESTICATION. 19 Indi~n fowl (Gallus bankiva). In regard to ducks and rabbits, the breeds of which differ considerably from each other in structure, I do not doubt that they all have descen~ed from the common wild duck and rabbit. The doctrme of the origin of our several domestic races from several aboriginal stocks, has been carried to an absurd extreme by some authors. They believe that every race which breeds true, let the distinctive charactei: s be ever so slight, has · had its wild prototype. At t~s rate. there must have existed at least a score of ~pemes of wild cattle, as many sheep, and several goats In Europe alone, and several even within Great Britain One aut~o~ believes that there formerly existed i~ ~~at Britam e~even. wild species of sheep peculiar to it ! e~ we bear In mind that Britain has now hardly one peculiar mammal, and ·France but few distinct from those of ?ermany and conversely, and so with Hungary Spain, &c., b.ut that each of these kingdoms possesse~ seve:al peculiar breeds of cattle, sheep, &c., we must ~dmit tha~ many domestic breeds have originated in thurope; for whence could they have been derived as ese. several_ countries do not possess a number' of Ip ecdui liar Es peme.s as distinct parent-stocks?. S 't . . 0 I IS Ill w~ot· ~~n In .the case of the domestic dogs of the seen; dw~r ' which I fully admit have probably dethere eh rom sever~l wild species, I cannot doubt that tion as been an ~mmense amount of inherited variathe .It 1Yho can believe that animals closely resembling or Ble~a~ greyh~und, the bloodhound, the bull-dog, e~ spaniel, &c.-so unlike all wild Oanidoo ofteve~ eXI~ted freely in a state of nature? It has be:: een oosely sa~d that all our races of dogs have specieJ'~o~~c~d by ~he crossing of a few aboriginal de ree 'in y ?rossing we can get only forms in some g termediate between their parents; and if we |