66 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



naturalists. You have answered, just as they do, the question of 

 species and race a question that at first appears very complicated, 

 because of the confusion before referred to. Here, then, is one more 

 example to prove that, under many circumstances, popular observa- 

 tion and good sense go straight 'to the mark, as well as the labors of 

 science. 



Indeed, let us translate into general scientific language what I have 

 just said of your views, and I am very sure not to be mistaken with 

 regard to them. 



The meaning of this judgment is, that an animal or a vegetable 

 may vary within certain limits. The dog remains a dog, whatever its 

 general form, its size, its hair ; the pear remains a pear, whatever its 

 size, its savor, the color of its skin. 



From these facts, which I simply allude to, it results that these 

 variations may be transmitted by way of generation. You all know 

 that the union of two water-spaniels will produce water-spaniels ; that 

 the union of two bull-dogs gives bull-dogs. 



It results, finally, in a more general way, that individuals of the 

 same species may cease to resemble each other in an absolute manner, 

 may sometimes even take very different characters, without becoming 

 isolated and forming different species. As we have just said, the dog 

 remains a dog, whatever its modifications. 



Well, these groups, formed by individuals which have departed 

 from the primitive type, and have formed distinct secondary groups, 

 are precisely the ones that naturalists call races. 



You understand why we constantly speak of races of cattle, horses, 

 etc. There is, in fact, but one species of domestic cattle, which has 

 given birth to the race hretonne, as well as to the great cattle of Uri, 

 with their savage aspect, and to the peaceful Durham. We have, 

 again, but one species of domestic horse, and this species has given 

 birth to the little Shetland pony, of which I spoke just now, and to 

 those enormous brewers' horses that we see in the streets of London. 

 Finally, the various races of sheep, goats, etc., have arisen from one 

 and the same species. 



We must give more precision to our ideas on this point, because 

 the least vagueness here will make very serious inconvenience. I 

 will cite some further examples taken from Vegetables and animals, 

 being careful to choose such as are entirely familiar. 



You all know the seed of the coffee-tree. Permit me to give its 

 history. You will see that it is instructive. 



The coffee-tree came originally from Africa, where from time im- 

 memorial it has been cultivated on the declivities of Abyssinia that 

 elope toward the Red Sea. About the fifteenth century, something 

 like four hundred years ago, the coffee-tree crossed this sea and pene- 

 trated into Arabia, where it has since been cultivated, and whence 

 especially we get the famous coffee of Mocha. 



