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Show CuAr. I. 32 DOGS. . closoly reso robles the Eu. roh - 1 . ·h in xternnl appcan1nco so . If· and tho pnna - w tH • 1 vitlt tlns wo ' . h 1) •nn wolf, ono·ht to b eros oc ' l. c1·nls. and so mot er donfl of luclm. W·i th I r lvcs anc Ja ~..c. ' • d llC tan ;vo r .1 t between certam ogs ("' o "' 'l'lmt tho Rt •rility lS very ls Jg 1 by savarrcs taking the ,. "• . d . S lOWll o . tuHl wolv s uncl other Cnmffiro IS t four successive generatiOns 1 roltbl to eroR th m. Bu on go . ls were perfectly fertile l d ()" l1ncl tho roongrc ·r l l'rolll tho wolf tu1c ~o' l M. Flourens states ~osi ~ve y as 1on·et.hc•r:'7 Hnt mor Iat y . : ts that hybncls from the t h~ r 'Hull. of hi nnm~rous ~onmc~tcrile at the third gonewo\ 1' nnd dog no s cl wter hse, :col~na~ and doo· at the fourth 1 tl , from t o Jf1C '- < 0 fi d l rnt ion, nm ltli'i . 1 ere clo ely con me ; anc •~c'llt'rttl . 's But th R amma w h t 1 n: ' 1 ll ee in a future c ap or, 'll . lals o w s Ja t l llltlll r WI C HUllt , , . e clerrrce Or even ut Cl' y 1 b nfin mont m om b . h tU' .r 'nd rrn' l y'n rcr w. lu.c h b re d' fr·e ely in Au tra1ia Wlt do m. sll'nlc. 1 1 o ' b d thoucrh repeat dly cro c m imp rlcd d rr, , ,, ould not re hou:d from entral .Africa, th , ,ltlrd1n d '8 l'lmlt 8' 49 m .. b. d in the Tower of l . 1\[· ·or enham, ne'er re hnmr>·ht hom 1 ' 10 J d t t rilitv mi r>·ht be tran - l ,· ibr t n ency o J • 1 JOIHilm : Ml nne n. ~liD t . f. . ..:ld anl· mal l\Iorco\ er, lt l . 1 fr, )1'111 a o •t w u < • 1nitkd to th ' h · mt 0 ::-r ,..., , . .· t ~ th hybrid · 'rere · 1\[ 1! laurens xp nmen 8 • . :1J'l't':lt~ thnt · Ill 1 ·. u f' r t h n: or. fotl i' o·eneration ; but thl' t•lt):-\L'Iy br 'd m am 1 . . . ]l lmo:;t c rtainly increa ~e the lthL)1JO'h Jt " U l l U u • } t•irt'Ulll$tnn 'c t1 . . '"'l 1 ·ell . count £ r the final re u t, h•ntlL' lll'Y to :·:-t' :1 h· woult lUI ' nc b t 1 1 . fi · t unl .:: ~ there bad een . h . 1 ~ i bY ,l "e con n rn n t'n'n thLm~ na t:l • ~ l ~ d f> rtilitY. ~ ' ral year · · J t mlcucy ::- ne e $t)l\\l' N't,...;mn • ' . . h z lo(Yi al :rnrdens of London a t\ '"' ) :::nw ~ "ntmL d lll t '"' d . k-, ·hicb ey n in '"' . . . ' no·li"h do(Y an )i l' tu, " h•mnlt' hybrd trou ~u ""' ~ :u th·lt a-.. I wa" -.-ur b. t\ti>l the tit, g(:ncr:\tlOU \\3.:3 ::<0 ::.- ei ' ' I CJJAP. 1. DIFFERENCES OF BREEDS. 33 her keeper, she dicl not fully exhibit her proper periods; but this case, from the numerous instances of fertile hybrids from these two animals, was certainly exceptional. In almost all experiments on the crossing of animals there are so many causes of doubt, that it is extremely difficult to come to any positive conclusion. It would, however, appear, that those who believe that our dogs aro descended from sovoral species will have not only to admit that their offspring after a long course of domestication generally lose all tendency to stcribty when crossed together; bnt that between certain breeds of dogs and some of their supposed aborjginal parents a certain degree of sterility has been retained or pos::;ibly even acquired. N otwithstancling the diffi culties in regard to fcrtjlity gjven in the last two paragraphs, when we reflect on the jnherent improbability of man having domesticated throughout the world one single species alone of so widely distributed, so easily tamed, and so useful a group as the Canidre; when we reflect on the extreme antiquity of the different breeds; and especially when we refl ect on the close similarity, both in external structure and habits, between the domestic dogs of various countries and the wild species still inhabiting these same countries, the balance of evidence is strongly in favour of the multiple origin of our clogs. JJijferences between tlte several Breeds of the .Dog.-If the several breeds have descended from several wild stocks, their difference can obviously in part be explained by that of their parent-species. For instance, the form of the greyhound may be partly accounted for by descent from some such animal as the slim .Abyssinian Canis s£mensis, 51 with its elongated muzzle; that of the larger dogs from the larger wolves, and the smaller and slighter dogs from jackals: and thus perhaps we may account for certain constitutional and climatal differences. But it would be a great error to suppose that there Las not been in addition 52 a large amount of variation. The intercrossing of the several aboriginal wild stocks, and of the subsequently formed 61 RUppel, 'Neue Wirbelthicrc von Abyssinian,' 1835-40; 'Mammif.,' s. 3!), pl. xiv. There is a specimen of this fine VOL. I. animal in tho British Museum. 5 2 Even Pallas admits this : see 'Act. Acad. St. Pctcrsburgh,' 1780, p. 93. D |