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Show CHAP. 111. 102 GOATS. . G d 'oo the roammre differ Points of variation. Accordmg to o rbon: elongated in the · d'ili t breeds emg greatly in shape m 1 eren . h. 'A ora r·ace and bilobcd common goat, hcmr·s p h en·c al m t . e dn gN u'b ' 1 ·.... According to . h t f Syna an "" . and divergent m t c goa s 0 f ·t . breeds have lost thou h th males o cer am this same aut or, 0 f th Indian breeds the males usual oucrc nsJ· ve od ou r . In one' do l d0' d · 1:£' nt shapes . lot an rn h h of WI e y- were ' and females ave orns d 't t f' horns 102 The presence h .c 1 are estr u e o · some breeds t o 1ema cs 11 .r. • feet has been thought d. · 1 ·t · glands on a 1our of inter Jgita pr s or 0 . d their absence to be charac-to characterise the genCus . ~Jsb, a: Mr Hodgson has found that · t' f the genus apia' u · · 1 tens IC o f t f the maior-ity of Hrma ayan h · t in the front ee o J f t eyt eXIs - . d the intestines in two goats o 1os Mr. Hodgson measure . gtho a Ds. u, o·u, race ancl h e f oun d that the proportrona1 length of thef cr .eat a~d sm~ll intestines differed considerabl~. In one o bthrees e goats t h e crecum 'vas thirteen inches, and m the other no r less than thirty-six inches in length ! 100 'Do l'Espcce,' tom. i. P·. 4:06. Mr. Chtrk also refers to difl"oronccs m thosha~o of tho m!lmmro. Godron s tat~s t~~t m the Nulrirm race the scrotum JS di~dod into two lobes ; and Mr. Clm:k gives a ludicrous proof of this f ac t, for he saw in the Mauritius a male goa~ of t_he Muscat breed pnrchased at _a high, pnce for a female in full mllk. These differences in the scrotum are probably not duo to descent from distinct species ; for Mr. Clark states that this part varies much in form. 101 Mr. Clltrk, 'Anpals and Mag. of Nat. HiHt.,' vol. ii. (2nd series), 184:8, P· 361. ' 1 d 102 Dcsmares t, ' Encyclop. Met 10 . Mammalogio,' p. 4:80. 1o3 • Journal of Asiatic Soc. ofBengo.J,' vol. xvi ., ]84:7, pp. 1020, 102!1. UITAP. IV. R 1\ Bl:lJ'I'S : TUEIR l)ARENTAGK 103 CHAPTER IV. DOMESTIC RABBITS. DOMES1'IC RADUT'I'S DESCENDED FHOJ\f l'HE COMMON WILD UABnt'r- ANCillN'l' DOliiEfi'riIJA'fiON - ANCf!i:N1' 'ELlWTION- LAHOF. T,Ol'-l~A llF:D RA!llln'S- VAIUOU>l FlRf:J!:Di:i - FLUCTUA1'lNG OTIA L~ACT J•:P. · - OHfOfN OF 'l'UE Jl1l\1AT,AYAN HRI•,ED- OUltiOU:i CASE Ol•' I NIJE IU'l'ANCE-l!'ERAL RABBIT "IN JA3FATOA AND TRJ' FALKLAND TBLANDSPOH'l'O SANTO FRHAL RABDl'l'S- OSTEOJ.OGIOAL ()l!ARAC'l'JmS - SKULL - BKULL OF fiALF-T.OP UABDITS- VARIATIONS IN 'J'UE SK ULJ. AKAJ,QGOUS TO DIFFERENCES IN OlFFE ltEN'l' SPECIES OF HARES - VERTEDH11> - S'l'EHNUM - SCAPULA - EFFECTS OF URF. AND DISUSE ON TilE PROPORTIONS OF TilE LIMBS AND BODY- CAPACITY OF 'J'TIE S.KUI,L AND HEDUCED SIZE OF TITE DRAIN - SUMMARY ON THE MODIFJOATIONS OF DOMESTICATED RABBITS. ALL naturalists, with, as far as I know, a single exception, believe that the several domestic breeds of the rabbit are descended from the common wild species ; I shall therefore describe them more carefully than in the previous cases. Professor Gervais 1 states " that the true wild rabbit is smaller than the domestic; its proportions are not absolutely the same; its tail is smaller ; its ears are shorter and more thickly clothed with hair ; and these characters, without speaking of colour, are so many indications opposed to the opinion which unites these animals under the same specific denomination." Few naturalists will agree with tbis author that such slight differences are sufficient to separate as distinct species the wild and domestic rabbit. How extraordinary it would be, if close confinement, perfect tameness, unnatural food, and careful breeding, all prolonged during many generations, had not produced at least some effect I The tame rabbit has been domesticated from an ancient period. Confucius ranges rabbits among animals worthy to be sacrificed to the gods, and, as he prescribes their multiplication, they were probably at this early period domesticated in China. They are mentioned by several of the classical writers. 1 M.P. Gervais,' Hist. Nat. des Mammileres,' tom. i., 1854, p. 288. |