DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



259 



and the easier taming of these home-reared individuals be- 

 cause of their earlier acquaintanceship with man. 



But in this rearing in captivity a new element enters almost 

 at once. That is the choosing or selection of certain of 

 these young to be allowed to grow up, and again the choos- 

 ing among these when grown up of those to be the parents 



FIG. 135. Assyrian hunters with great dogs. From an Assyrian wall 

 relief of 668 B.C., now in the British Museum. (After Keller.) 



of more young. This selection may be almost unconsciously 

 done, or it may be made intentionally and carefully, so as to 

 preserve the most desirable individuals and have them give 

 birth to others like themselves. 



Then there comes the crossing of special individuals or the 

 hybridizing with other races in the hope of adding or com- 

 bining in the offspring the desirable qualities of both kinds 

 of parents. It is this careful selecting and crossing that are 



